HANDMAKER JEWISH SERVICES FOR THE AGING has hired NANCI LEVY as community outreach coordinator, The position is funded, in part, by a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation. Levy has been volunteering in the Tucson Jewish community for nearly 20 years. In her new position, she will focus on bringing more external Jewish community events to Handmaker, offering a wider variety of Jewish engagement activities to residents and their families, and increasing Handmaker’s outreach to the local Jewish community.
SOPHIE GIBLY has been named program director for JEWISH ARIZONANS ON CAMPUS at the University of Arizona. A native Tucsonan who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in intermedia from Arizona State University, Gibly spent the last year studying in Jerusalem and acting as a madricha (leader) for various Israel summer programs. JAC offers students weekly programs, Shabbat hospitality and one-on-one learning. Gibly can be reached at gibly613@gmail.com.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Southern Arizona Chapter will holds its 28th Annual National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon on Nov. 19 at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. Along with JILL RICH, who will be honored as the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser (see AJP 7.10.15), local organizations will recognize the following among the 2015 Spirit of Philanthropy Awardees: JEFFREY GOLDBERG, SARSEF: Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair; BRINA GRUSIN, Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona; and BETTY ANNE SARVER, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona.
CHILD & FAMILY RESOURCES received the 2015 Alliance Commitments Award for Engaging All Voices from the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, a national membership organization located in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes excellence in achieving meaningful and lasting change with children, families, adults and communities. Child and Family Resources was honored for its Youth Empowered for Success program, which encourages healthy living, achievement and the striving for an alcohol and drug free teen life in communities across Pima County.
The TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART has received its second-largest gift in its 91-year history from the estate of Jeanette H. and Bernard L. Schmidt. The museum received a partial distribution of $750,000 that will endow the Jeanette and Bernard Schmidt Curator of Latin American Art position at the museum. The gift also includes 26 works of art by Latin American and American artists, as well as other works that will be sold to increase the endowment. The museum was recently voted best art museum in Tucson for the 14th year in a row and best fine art gallery for the first time by Tucson Weekly.
THE ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY board of trustees has elected Mac Perlich, president and publisher of ON Media, and Steven Tepper, dean of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, to three year terms. ON Media publishes programs for all the major performing arts groups in the Valley of the Sun and Tucson; Perlich and her husband, Russ, launched Act One, a nonprofit organization that brings students from Title One schools to live performing arts experiences. Tepper is a writer and speaker on U.S. cultural policy whose works have fostered national discussion around cultural engagement.
