New Urban Arts’ Board of Directors announces the appointment of Jannelle Codianni as executive director! Codianni, who has lived in Providence for several years, is the former executive director of atac: downtown arts + music, in Framingham, MA, and will begin her tenure at NUA on July 1, 2024. She also previously served as atac’s director of marketing and program development.

She succeeds Daniel Schleifer, who joined the NUA community in 2007 and after initially serving as an artist mentor, served as NUA’s director of development before being appointed as its executive director.
 
Ms. Codianni’s accomplishments at atac include the following:

• Leading a 500% increase in engagement from previously excluded community members.
• Implementing development strategies that resulted in a 400% increase in grant funding, the most successful individual giving campaign, a 194% increase in rental revenue, and a 30% reduction in facility-related expenses.
• Designing and executing the organization’s largest event, engaging over 450 community members, raising $27,000 in sponsorships, and earning 63% more than any previous event in the organization’s history.
• Creating public art programming, including a youth-led mural, vegetable garden, and a state-funded pocket park featuring collaboratively created public art, ecological education, and community-accessible green space.

“My passion for fostering community access to the arts has driven my work as the executive director at atac, a visual and performing arts center in Framingham, Massachusetts. I have lived in Providence for years, and my children attend the Providence Public Schools, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve the community that I call home.” said Ms. Codianni.
 
“It is clear that NUA deeply values the skills and talents of the staff, mentors, and students who bring the organization to life. I am honored to serve the accomplished team and the community at NUA with the skills I’ve cultivated through twenty years of eclectic experience in the arts and community organizing and I look forward to stewarding its mission in the years ahead.” she added.
 
“We are excited to welcome Jannelle to our community as NUA’s next executive director,” said Marcela Betancur, NUA’s board chair. “Through each phase of the search process, she demonstrated that she has the right experience, commitment, and vision to lead New Urban Arts during its next phase of development.”
 
“Everyone in our community is grateful for Dan’s many years of exceptional service to NUA, and we look forward to hearing about all of the great things he will accomplish in his career and in service to the community,” she added.