MIAMI – Bahia Ramos, a veteran grant maker and nonprofit leader, will become the arts program director at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where she will shape the organization’s efforts to engage communities through the arts.
Currently, Ramos is Knight’s program director for community foundations, where she manages $74 million in donor-advised fund investments across the country. In addition, Ramos helps community foundations adapt and lead digitally through Knight initiatives that share emerging trends in online giving and investing in local news and information projects.
“Bahia has an exceptional understanding of the connection between art and community, said Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen. “Her deep experience in Knight communities, combined with her strategic outlook and passion for the arts, make her an ideal leader of Knight’s efforts to help make art general, an effort aimed to inspire and bind the communities where we work.”
Previously, Ramos has had an extensive career in the cultural nonprofit sector serving as government and community affairs director at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Her work with Brooklyn Children’s Museum helped to double the size of the museum, raising its profile as a world-class institution and improving community engagement. Locally, she has served as a member of The Miami Foundation’s signature leadership program the Miami Fellows.
“Throughout my personal life and career, my twin passions have been for community and the arts. I’m glad to be able to marry the two in my new position, helping communities feel, see and experience the transformative power of arts and culture,” Ramos said.
Knight Foundation’s national arts program focuses on artistic excellence and audience engagement in communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The program invests in key institutions, helping them to more deeply engage the public. In addition, Knight supports grassroots groups that have fresh and innovative ideas for the arts.
Ramos, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Williams College and a Master of Public Administration from the Baruch College School of Public Affairs, will start the new position in June. She will report to newly named Vice President of Art Victoria Rogers.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
CONTACT
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, [email protected]