Welcome to New Board President Matt Pettinelli

It is with deep gratitude that we bid Rachel Hite farewell as our Interim Board President. Rachel’s commitment to our mission and enthusiasm about our work over much of 2021 helped us to onboard many new board members, improve our systems, and identify the needed next steps for the board. We wish Rachel the best in her new position at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and hope to see her when she is back in town.

As we move into the next era of leadership, we welcome Matt Pettinelli as our incoming Board President. As the Founder and CEO of a private real estate investment fund, Matt’s work focuses on acquiring and leasing single- and multi-family residences to providers who serve adults with behavioral health conditions in a community-based setting. Matt’s commitment to supporting the I/DD community was inspired at a young age by his parents’ work as social workers. Matt pairs this passion with one for the arts. He most recently served as President of The Auxiliary Board of The Art Institute, and a member of the Board since 2009. 

In his first few months as President, Matt has already had an impact at Arts of Life. He is working to reimagine the Board’s structure and focus in order to support the organization’s strategic plan and fundraising goals. With the formation of an Executive Committee, this new structure will increase collaboration and communication across committees, harnessing the skills of each board member to better support the broader goals of the organization. We are just at the beginning stages of this initiative, but are certain that Matt’s work will help to increase our capacity and visibility.