Henry Timms, current president and chief executive of the 92nd Street Y, has been appointed the new president and chief executive of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
In his new role, Timms has been charged with expanding Lincoln Center’s audience, fostering collaboration between the cultural organizations within the Lincoln Center and continue the long-delayed redesign of David Geffen Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic.
He comes to the position after Debora Spar, a former president of Barnard College, stepped down in April 2018, after one year in the role.
“Henry is a trailblazing leader of the highest caliber. His combination of collegiality, digital savvy and transformational thinking will be an enormous asset as we develop exciting new projects, and bring the well-known excellence of the arts at Lincoln Center to the broadest possible audience,” Katherine Farley, board chair of Lincoln Center, said in the press release. “Henry’s signature style is collaboration, complemented by innovation, ingenuity and enthusiasm, which will serve him well as he works closely with all of our constituent arts organizations.”
At the 92nd Street Y, Timms oversaw programming and launched the first major capital campaign in the nonprofit cultural and community center’s history, bringing in more than $160 million in capital gifts. During his tenure, he helped launch the now-global #GivingTuesday fundraising campaign, a hashtag that spurred charitable-giving online.
Timms will begin his position at Lincoln Center in early May 2019. Until then, Russell Granet will continue serving as interim acting president alongside Farley and Chief Operating Officer Liza Parker.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is the umbrella organization that manages the Lincoln Center campus, essentially serving as a landlord for the 11 independent cultural institutions that reside on the complex, including Lincoln Center Theater.
Timms is the third person to hold this position in four years. Before Spar stepped down, the position was held by Jed Bernstein, the former president of the Broadway League. Bernstein resigned in 2016, followed by reports of misconduct with an employee.
