Michael McCord joins Proctors as capital campaigns director

SCHENECTADY—Michael McCord, of Wallingford, Vt., has joined Proctors as capital campaigns director, a newly-created position, responsible for managing specific fundraising efforts for the Schenectady arts center as well as Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. His first assignment will be directing a $2.5 million capital campaign for theREP.

McCord, from Kingston, N.Y., has a bachelor’s degree in music education from The College of Saint Rose, and is currently finishing a master’s degree in arts administration from Vermont’s Castleton University.

Directly prior to Proctors, McCord worked for the university, where he served as director of the Castleton Fund & Donor Relations. He held a similar position at Middlebury College, as assistant director of annual giving for the prestigious school.

McCord began his development career at the Silver Bay YMCA Conference and Family Retreat Center on Lake George, starting as a summer music director before tackling annual appeals.

“Proctors CEO Philip Morris told me, during one of our early conversations,” McCord says, “that he thinks of himself as an administrator, but that he has art in his bones. It’s the same for me. That’s the world I know and the language I speak.”

“In my position, you have to be excited about speaking with potential donors, and I’m very excited about what’s happening here, especially all the buzz about theREP and the positive changes its new location will bring to downtown Albany.”