FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2005

Contact: Sarah McGreer
sarah@maaa.org

Jim DeGood Joins M-AAA as Director of Performing Arts

Jim DeGood has joined Mid-America Arts Alliance to take on the newly created position of Director of Performing Arts.

DeGood will manage directional planning, implementation, and analysis of all Performing Arts activities, including maintenance of existing programs such as the M-AAA Regional Touring Program, Meet the Composer, and the Mexico Transnational Project.

According to our Executive Director, Mary Kennedy McCabe, “For several years, the Performing Arts Division has maintained a number of regranting programs funded by agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts. Bringing Jim on as Director of Performing Arts marks a new era for the department, one in which we look to maintain existing programs, but also to think about the future of the performing arts in our area. How can we best serve performing artists and the needs of performing arts presenters across our six-state region? I look forward to working with Jim in developing creative ways to address that question.”

DeGood has been an employee of Kansas City performing arts organizations for most of his career. He held several positions during six years of employment with the Kansas City Symphony. Most recently, he was the Strategic Marketing Manager in charge of creation and implementation of subscription renewal and new acquisition sales campaigns.

In addition, DeGood formerly worked in marketing and advertising for the Missouri Repertory Theatre and as an account executive at Fleishman-Hillard International Communications.

A native of Caney, Kansas, DeGood earned a bachelor’s in communications studies from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He recently completed a master’s in art administration from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.

The mission of Mid-America Arts Alliance is to enrich communities through cultural experiences. Founded in 1972, Mid-America Arts Alliance is a nonprofit regional arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. It is governed by a board of directors drawn from its partner states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Major support is for Mid-America Arts Alliance is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, participant state arts agencies, and leading foundations and corporations. For further information, visit the Web site at www.maaa.org.

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