Phase two of the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) development has begun with the hiring of local Mercer Island resident Sharon Perez as the Capital Campaign Director, said Board Chair John Gordon Hill.

Perez will work directly with the Board to carry out the strategic fundraising plan for the new Center.

“Sharon is uniquely qualified to lead our capital campaign with her extensive advancement experience, strategic insight, and breadth of Mercer Island community relationships,” Hill said.

Perez said she was inspired to coordinate the fundraising after seeing a presentation about MICA at a Mercer Island Preschool Association meeting and wanting to join the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create an Arts Center for the community.

Perez has an MBA from Willamette University with an emphasis on Organizational Design and Marketing. She currently serves on a number of local boards: Mercer Island Food Revolution & Let’s Move! Mercer Island, West Mercer Elementary PTA and Mercerwood Shore Club.

“As a member of the Mercer Island community, a mother of elementary school children, and a neighbor to the new site for the Center, I have a vested interest in seeing this project successfully completed,” Perez said. “This is a unique opportunity to make a multi-generational investment in Mercer Island and enhance the special community we all call home.”

As part of the shift to fundraising for the new Mercer Island Center for the Arts, current Executive Director Louise Kincaid will be leaving at the end of this month.

“Louise brought MICA a wide range of arts and non-profit management skills,” Hill said. “During her tenure we opened the MICA office, completed major building design work and costing, developed beautiful visual materials and the website, conducted several fundraising events, expanded community outreach, and significantly expanded the Board. The Board is very appreciative of this successful completion of the organizational phase that Louise was hired to do.”

MICA has also hired Jami Cairnes as Office Administrator to handle day-to-day functions and support the fundraising consulting team and Board as it embarks on the next phase of this exciting and enduring focal point for the arts on Mercer Island.

The capital campaign is expected to be approximately $25 million. To date, MICA has raised almost $5 million in cash and pledges. The MICA board projects to break ground in 2017 and open in 2018.

For more information about MICA, visit MercerIslandArts.org.