Nissa N. Copemann has been selected as the director of the Reichhold Center for the Arts at the University of the Virgin Islands. Copemann will be responsible for setting and implementing the center’s aggressive short- and long-term strategic goals. Her duties include fundraising, financial management, programming, marketing, education, facility operations, ticketing, and community and campus relations.
After a nation-wide search, Copemann, a native Virgin Islander, was selected based on her extensive experience in fundraising, strategic planning, budget management, community outreach and life-long engagement with the arts. She comes to UVI from Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., founded by actress Angelina Jolie. Copemann served as the development director at KIND and was responsible for cultivating stakeholders, developing special events, and managing relationships with major corporations and foundations. Before joining KIND, Copemann served as the vice president of Program and Development at the T. Howard Foundation in Washington, D.C., where she built partnerships with media giants such as Comcast, HBO, Discovery, Disney, Time Warner, Viacom and Turner.
“We are so very delighted to have recruited Ms. Copemann back to the Virgin Islands to lead the Reichhold Center for the Arts — UVI’s crown jewel,” said Dionne V. Jackson, UVI’s vice president for institutional advancement. “She possesses the energy and technical skills needed to transform Reichhold Center into a stronger, more dynamic, creative destination. Ms. Copemann also has a sound understanding of V.I. culture, a passion to serve, and is ready to get to work for our community.”
She has spent more than 20 years in the Washington, D.C. area and is excited to return to the Virgin Islands as Reichhold Center’s director.
“As a native Virgin Islander, I am filled with both excitement and gratitude for this opportunity to guide the Reichhold Center as it forges ahead into the 21st century,” Copemann said. “Me being here is not just to serve the Reichhold Center, but to serve the community because this is the community’s center,” Copemann said. “I really wanted to do work that means something for me, and nothing means more to me than my home,” she said. “I hold this position in sacred trust.”
Among Copemann’s main goals are to diversify Reichhold Center’s earned and contributed revenues, build Reichhold Center’s roster of A-list performers, and showcase local talent at the performances. She encourages everyone to purchase tickets for Reichhold’s 2012-2013 Season and to expect to be impressed by its 35th anniversary line up.
Copemann holds a Juris Doctor from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics from Denison University. Her appointment at UVI began on Oct. 22. She may be contacted at 693-1550 or nissa.copemann@live.uvi.edu.
