Art Institute Names New Vice President of Museum Development

Mary Jane Drews appointed to crucial position
New development team includes Membership Director Pam Prosch

January 5, 2006

MEDIA CONTACT:                 
Chai Lee
(312) 443-3625

James Cuno, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago, has announced the appointment of Mary Jane Drews to the position of Vice President of Museum Development, effective January 3, 2006. Reporting directly to Cuno, Drews will assume responsibility for overseeing membership, the Annual Fund, planned giving, institutional giving, development operations and the Telefund. Together with Pam Prosch--the Art Institute's new membership director--this new development team aims to increase the Art Institute's fund-raising goals and membership base.

Cuno noted that, "Both Drews and Prosch bring to the Art Institute a wealth of knowledge in nonprofit development. Their experience will be invaluable to us as we raise the funds we need to support museum operations and exhibitions. We are a growing institution. Broadening our membership throughout Chicago and beyond and raising funds to meet out ever-increasing needs are crucial to our vision as a world-renowned encyclopedic museum."

Drews comes to the Art Institute from the Ravinia Festival where she has been the director of development and the chief development officer since 2000. From 1994 to 2000 she was the vice president of development for the Shedd Aquarium where she was instrumental in building their development department. Prior to that she held positions of increasing responsibilties at the Lyric Opera, serving as assistant director for annual giving, director of government funding and director of major gifts. Drews has a B.A. in psychology and communication and an M.A. in communication from Indiana University at Bloomington. She started her career as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.

Before assuming the position of membership director for the Art Institute, Prosch was the membership director for Chicago Public Radio where she and her team were instrumental in increasing membership by 33% and revenue by 70% since 2000. She was also the director of marketing and development for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern Illinois, and vice president of marketing and communications for the Cradle Adoption Agency. Prosch began her career in the private sector working for Goldring Marketing Research and Grant/Jacoby Advertising. Her clients included Ameritech Mobile, Popsicle, Frito Lay and Helene Curtis. Prosch has an M.B.A. in marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and B.S. in business from Miami University of Ohio.