The Boston Athenæum has appointed Bridget J. Keane as its new Chief Development Officer, effective August 27, 2018. She succeeds Robert L. West, who will continue to serve in a part-time capacity to assist with fundraising initiatives.

Most recently, Keane was Vice President of External Engagement for Citizen Schools, a Boston-based non-profit focused on innovative educational programs, where she served as the senior external leadership strategist, relationship manager, and fundraising coach. Prior to that, she spent several years on the west coast at CCS Fundraising, where she managed and led strategic development campaigns for the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and other organizations. At the Crocker Art Museum she worked in partnership with the Museum Director, campaign co-chairs, the Board of Trustees and the development staff to design and execute a $100 million capital campaign in support of a 125,000 square foot expansion. She is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.

"Bridget brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the arts, academics and non-profits to her new role, which is to help us expand fundraising in support of our strategic goals," said Elizabeth E. Barker, Stanford Calderwood Director of the Boston Athenæum. "We are most excited to have her with us, and look forward to her energetic leadership as we move to expand the Athenæum's footprint and capabilities, helping us preserve and build our diverse collections for research and enjoyment."

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHENÆUM

The Boston Athenæum, a leading membership library and cultural center, first opened its doors in 1807 as a reading room, with readers including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Amy Lowell. Today, the Athenæum remains a vibrant hybrid institution that serves members and other curious minds. Encompassing an expansive circulating library, rich collections of paintings and rare materials for research and enjoyment, quiet spaces for reading and reflection, and serving as a forum for lively discussion and intellectual discourse, the Athenæum is a distinct cultural treasure in the heart of Boston.