David Rubenstein, ’73, to Retire as Kennedy Center Chairman
David Rubenstein To Retire As Kennedy Center Chairman
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces that board chairman David M. Rubenstein will retire from the board of trustees after 14 years, effective at the board’s Annual Meeting in January 2025. Only the sixth chairman in the Kennedy Center’s history, Rubenstein was elected board chairman in 2010 and re-elected each year since that time. Originally appointed to the Kennedy Center board by President George W. Bush, he has subsequently been reappointed by Presidents Obama and Biden. A search committee has already been identified and will begin the search process, in coordination with the White House, for his successor.
A philanthropist, leader, and investor, Rubenstein will leave an indelible imprint on the nation’s cultural center. Under his leadership, the Center has evolved into one of the most interactive arts and cultural destinations in the country—a national model for artistic excellence, inclusivity, creativity, and arts education. In addition to hiring the Center’s current president, Deborah F. Rutter, in 2014, cornerstones of his tenure include the building of the REACH (a 72,000-square-foot arts innovation annex), expansion of the Center’s year-round programming to include hip hop and comedy, increased access to the arts for underrepresented communities, a renewed commitment to broadcast programming, and new amenities for the public to experience and interact with the living Presidential memorial to John F. Kennedy.
Beyond his extraordinary board leadership, Rubenstein’s financial generosity is unsurpassed. At $111 million, he is the largest individual contributor to the Center in its 52-year history. In addition to his extraordinary personal giving, Rubenstein has had a profound impact on the Kennedy Center’s fundraising operations and capacity, advocating for the public to support the Center as a vital American institution and bringing together leading corporations, partners, and foundations in support of the Center.
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