Press Release: Richmond Art Center announces the appointment of José R. Rivera as Executive Director
RICHMOND, CA: The Richmond Art Center is pleased to announce the appointment of José R. Rivera to the position of Executive Director. Board of Directors President Patricia Guthrie said: “Mr. Rivera brings a wealth of management experience and a deep commitment to the arts and community which we feel will help move the Richmond Art Center forward at a time of great societal change.” Mr. Rivera’s hire comes after an extensive search involving the Board of Directors, RAC Staff, and community members.
Mr. Rivera brings over 25 years of experience with for-profit and non-profit organizations in California, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Massachusetts. He has extensive experience in helping organizations grow into successful entities, and in infusing entrepreneurial practices in settings as diverse as charitable organizations, government agencies, and academia. He has managed budgets of up to $600 million and has a track record of finding and leveraging resources to maximize outcomes.
“I am so thrilled to be joining the Richmond Art Center as its Executive Director. I am grateful for the trust placed in me to safeguard this artistic jewel of the Bay Area. I am confident that despite these very difficult times, our team and community will come together to ensure that we emerge from this situation vibrant and ready to, once again, provide artistic expression and art education programs to our communities. I look forward to greeting you at The Center.” – José R. Rivera
Mr. Rivera joins the Richmond Art Center after having been Director of Administration, Privacy and Compliance, at Lincoln Families in West Oakland. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of the Work2Future Foundation with the City of San Jose and Executive Director at Stagebridge in Oakland, the oldest performing arts entity for older adults in the US and a leader in intergenerational literacy programs conducted at schools in underserved neighborhoods. He is coauthor of an entrepreneurship workbook and distance learning course used in various colleges and universities in Puerto Rico. A former professional theater and film producer, screenwriter and classical pianist, José has resided in Albany, CA for three decades.
Mr. Rivera has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance from Northeastern University in Boston. With a rich history in non-profit management, he has worked in support of causes ranging from education to the arts, serving in the capacities of Executive Director, board member, consultant, and individual contributor. For years, he supported maximizing independence among disadvantaged children and young adults by growing and scaling an educational organization, achieving profound success where other systems had failed to produce positive results. He has previously advised many non-profit organizations and continues to mentor minority students.
About the Richmond Art Center: A non-profit organization, the Richmond Art Center has provided 84 years of excellence in arts education and exhibitions in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Art Center’s mission is to be a catalyst in Richmond for learning and living through art. The largest Art Center in the East Bay, the 1951 vintage modern facility is part of Richmond’s Civic Center Plaza and receives partial funding from the City of Richmond. The Art Center offers one of the most extensive schedules of exhibitions and art instruction programs in the East Bay, presenting 13 -16 exhibitions in four galleries, and providing 100+ art classes and workshops in six studios four times a year to 1,200 students each quarter. In addition, the Art in the Community program offers after school art experiences to schools and community centers, engaging nearly 2,200 underserved youth. The Art Center has over 600 members, 200 volunteers, 11 full-time and four part-time staff. The Center has an operating budget of just over $1.5 million.
Contact: Amy Spencer, amy@richmondartcenter.org
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