The Westmoreland Museum of American Art appoints new director of advancement

Finding the right person to oversee its fundraising efforts is an important goal for any cultural institution.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has hired Rhonda Madden to fill the position of director of advancement at the Greensburg nonprofit.

Madden’s background includes six years at the Pittsburgh nonprofit Riverlife, working in both development and strategic initiatives, according to museum officials.

She also has held leadership roles in development/fundraising at the Allegheny Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land in New York, N.Y., and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.

Over the course of her career, Madden has directly been responsible for raising more than $50 million in private and public contributions, museum officials say.

She replaces former Director of Advancement Catena Bergevin, who left the museum for a similar position with ArtsGreensboro in North Carolina last year.

Madden started her new job Monday and is proving to be a “good fit,” says Anne Kraybill, the museum’s Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO.

“I was impressed not only by her fundraising background, but by just how passionate she is about the institution,” Kraybill says.

“It’s certainly somebody who’s going to be very much in collaboration with me to make whatever our vision is come to fruition with funds,” she adds of the position.

“As with any nonprofit, we really are looking to make sure we have a healthy and diverse funding stream,” Kraybill says, despite potential market fluctuations.

“She brings experience not just in fundraising, but here in this philanthropic community, Western Pennsylvania,” Kraybill adds.

“The museum is a very special place to me personally, and I feel privileged to be coming on board at this very exciting time,” Madden said. “I look forward to helping this talented team build an even stronger future for this important community asset.”

Mary Pickels is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary at 724-836-5401, mpickels@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaryPickels.