Katherine Nicholls Designated as Chair of NYS Council on the Arts

New York, NY—The New York State Council on the Arts has announced the designation of Katherine Nicholls as Chair of the agency by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Nicholls is a New York-based business executive with over 30 years of experience in marketing, operations and company leadership. As Chief Executive Officer of GreenGale Publishing from 2011 to 2017, she brought her expertise in media, culture and tourism to the oversight of leading regional lifestyle magazines in eleven U.S. cities. She currently serves on the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Tourism Advisory Council.

“Katherine Nicholls has been an incredible asset to the New York State Council on the Arts,” said NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus. “Her strength as a leader and devotion to New York State’s creative culture will be of great service to the agency and the state as we move forward.”

"It has been a privilege to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts,” Nicholls said. “I am honored to take on the role of Chair and look forward to working even more closely with the staff and Council to support and advance our state’s arts and culture on behalf of the people of New York.”

During her tenure with GreenGale, Nicholls championed the company’s mission to Connect, Captivate and Celebrate with Consciousness, ensuring that content reflected the style and sensibility of each market. The oversized glossy magazines featured editorial focused on local arts, culture and philanthropy, as well as fashion, dining and real estate.  

Nicholls launched the multimedia feature “Art of the City” across all 11 publications, giving national exposure to artists whose works appeared on covers and was donated to support local arts-based charities. Integrating editorial content, social media and experiential events, “Art of the City” ran annually in summer for three years, reaching over 15 million readers each year.

Prior to joining GreenGale (then Niche Media) in 2007 as Chief Marketing Officer, Nicholls had a twenty year career in marketing in the wine and spirits industry in both Canada and the United States. Nicholls worked for leading organizations Schieffelin & Somerset (a joint venture between Moët Hennessy and Diageo PLC), and Diageo PLC. She also serves on the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence New York Leadership Council.

“The agency looks forward to continued success at the Council under Katherine's leadership, and we congratulate our outgoing Chair Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel on the completion of her term as Chair and Councilmember,” said Manus. “Barbaralee’s contributions to the Council and to artistic and cultural affairs across the State have been immense and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service.” 

Source: The New York State Council on the Arts