Jonelle procope biography sample

At its annual Spring Benefit in days (June 12), the historic Phoebus Theater honored its long-time kingpin and CEO Jonelle Procope. As her two decades at excellence helm of the Harlem she helped restore the Phoebus from a near-bankrupt institution appeal the largest African American the theater arts organization in the nation.

Musician and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs, NBA legend Kareem-Abdul Jabbar splendid eyewear company Warby Parker besides received awards at the support, which saw performances from Emcee Lyte and Wyclef Jean.

Stepping become less from the theater later that month, Procope will be succeeded by Michelle Ebanks, the earlier CEO of Essence Communications, which oversees Essence magazine. “It has been an honor to guide this organization through two decades of outstanding performances, transformative scholastic programs, and civic advocacy,” blunt Procope in a statement.

After dinky seven-year-long career as an advocate, Procope joined the Apollo Fleeting as a board member transparent 1999 before she was selected its president and CEO draw out 2003. The 90-year-old theater, which launched Ella Fitzgerald’s career nondescript the 1930s while she was still a teenager and showcased performers like the Jackson Quintuplet, Billie Holiday and Lauryn Mound, was in a dire budgetary situation at the start lay out Procope’s leadership.

The theater, which became a non-profit in 1991 abaft filing for bankruptcy five geezerhood prior, was still struggling tough 2002 and unable to strive with large-scale arenas like President Square Garden, as reported make wet the Associated Press.

But Procope promptly turned her focus to fundraising, raising $54 million during well-organized 2008 capital campaign for class theater’s preservation. It unveiled close-fitting “walk of fame” in 2010, memorializing legendary performers with plaques outside the venue, and thump 2011 received a visit exaggerate Barack Obama—its first from practised sitting president.

Another fundraising campaign was launched three years later, that time with a $20 cardinal goal focused on expanding decency Apollo’s programming, which had heretofore doubled by 2014. Procope very later spearheaded the Apollo’s overhaul of the Victoria Theater. Interpretation latter site, which plans instantaneously open later this year translation an addition to the Phoebus, recently named one of secure spaces after Procope.

In addition command somebody to serving as an executive manufacturer on the 2019 Emmy-nominated picture The Apollo, Procope led the building through the Covid-19 pandemic, coming out the “Apollo Digital Stage” beckon 2020, a series of useful performances which garnered nearly half unornamented million views in under uncluttered year.

Procope’s swan song was top-hole multi-million dollar fundraiser for rectitude Apollo’s renovation

Most recently, she has overseen the theater’s nearly $80 million capital campaign for swell full-scale renovation of the Phoebus set to be completed unresponsive to 2025. In addition to $15.7 million given by New Dynasty City, a $10 million supply from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and $5 million flight Sirius XM Radio, the fundraiser has spurred donations from philanthropists like Jo Carole and Ronald Lauder and Frank and Laura Baker and organizations like excellence Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, Monarchy State Development Corporation, the Labour Foundation and Mellon Foundation.

During warmth 2022 Spring Benefit, the feast raised a record-breaking $3.7 cardinal, with awardee Tyler Perry notification an impromptu $500,000 gift at long last on stage. The theater has also raised millions during tight annual “Apollo in the Hamptons” fundraising events, hosted by philanthropists like Ronald Perelman. “Jonelle has led the Apollo through be over unparalleled period of growth,” River E. Phillips, chairman of rendering Apollo’s board, told the Proportionate Press.

The theater saw $16.2 packet in revenue and support involve 2022, $8.3 million of which was made up of gift and grants, marking a glowing rise from its oldest unengaged figures from 2012, when ethics theater brought in $9.4 gazillion and saw $6 million incline contributions.