The Board of Regional Arts Victoria (RAV) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jo Porter to the position of Chief Executive Officer, taking the reins from Joe Toohey, who has led the peak body for regional Victorian artists and arts organisations since 2017.
“I am delighted to be entrusted with one of the best roles in Australia,” said Jo. “I look forward to working with Regional Arts Victoria and the artists and audiences across the State, as RAV leads, resources and inspires participation in arts activity in an era of escalating change and opportunity in regional Victoria.”
Jo comes to Regional Arts Victoria from the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre where she has held the role of CEO since early 2019.
Jo has held a number of leadership roles in the arts in Australia, UK and USA, including as the Executive Producer of Malthouse Theatre, General Manager of a range of commercial theatre productions and head of creative development at Richard Frankel Productions in New York and Head of Business Development at Really Useful Group in London.
She was the Co-Producer of Victoria’s inaugural Regional Centre for Culture (2018), she taught Governance and Leadership in NIDA’s MFA in Cultural Leadership program from 2015 to 2020, and currently Chairs the Board of Chamber Made.
“We are very excited to have recruited someone of Jo’s calibre into the CEO role,” said Regional Arts Victoria Chair, Sue Hunt. “Jo’s experience leading cultural organisations and as a theatre producer both overseas, in Australia and in regional Victoria means that she is well-placed to lead the organisation through this next phase of our development.”
“The Board would also like to extend our gratitude to Joe Toohey. Highlights of Joe’s time with us include major projects such as the Artlands event, Creative Workers in Schools and our continuing recovery work, as well as supporting hundreds of funded initiatives and touring programs to schools, halls and venues throughout Victoria.”
“We also thank Joe for expertly steered the organisation, and our members, through the difficulties of arts operations during the global pandemic,” said Sue.
Jo will take up the role of CEO in early November 2022. For more information about Regional Arts Victoria, visit: www.rav.net.au for details.
Image: Jo Porter – photo by Mia Mala McDonald