The Peru Gazette

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Strand Center for the Arts (SCA) is proud to announce the selection of Karen Dispo-De Boos as its new Development Director. The position is new to the organization made possible by the 2015 Regional Economic Development Council Award for Workforce Development. As Development Director, Dispo-De Boos will oversee all individual, corporate and foundation fundraising efforts; manage corporate member sponsorships; write grants; and implement other fundraising strategies.

Joshua Kretser, The Strand Center for the Arts’ executive director remarked on the positive changes this new role will bring, “This new position at the Strand Center for the Arts (SCA) will enable our organization to continue to flourish. We now have a full time staff member dedicating her time to applying for grant funding, fostering collaborative relationships within the business community and spreading the mission of the SCA throughout our region. The future is looking very bright; and excitement for the arts in the North Country is building.”

Dispo-De Boos has several years of experience in advertising, marketing, and publishing with significant experience working with local and national nonprofit organizations. After living in Australia for nearly 9 years, Karen moved back to Plattsburgh in 2012 with her husband and sons. Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Art History from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. She anticipates graduating later this year with her Master of Nonprofit Management (MNM) from Regis University. The MNM program prepares graduate students to be effective nonprofit leaders that exhibit professional competency in integrating theory, experiences, and real life circumstances in an effort to promote the advancement of nonprofit organizations. She is a member of Nu Lambda Mu, the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council’s international honor society that recognizes scholars dedicated to the study of nonprofit management, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship/enterprise.

Mark McCullough, The Strand Center for the Arts Board President expressed his enthusiasm, “We are excited to have Karen as a member of the Strand Center for the Arts (SCA) team. She has already shown great initiative and we are confident that her development efforts will position the SCA to continue in its growth and journey to becoming a premier arts venue.”

The Strand Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a high quality arts center and theatre, exposing the community to the best of visual arts, music, dance, and theatre.  The SCA is supported by the New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA).

Platinum Circle Sponsors for The Strand Center of the Arts are The University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physician’s Hospital, Meadowbrook Healthcare, and Twinstate Technologies. Gold Sponsors for the Strand Center for the Arts are Northern Insuring/Northern Benefits, Boire Benner Group, Best Western Plus – The Inn at Smithfield, WPTZ – Channel 5, Clute Wealth Management, and Jeffords Steel and Engineering Company.