NEW YORK CITY: Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has appointed Kevin Bitterman as director of Institutional Advancement and Partnerships. Since 2008, Bitterman has served as the associate director of artistic and international programs at TCG. His new role will tie into the organization’s newly created cultivation department.
“In his more than eight years with TCG, Kevin has made a significant impact on the field through his leadership on programs like Audience (R)Evolution and with partnerships like the Global Theater Initiative,” said executive director, Teresa Eyring, in a statement. “The relationships he has cultivated with foundations, international partners, theatre practitioners, and more make him ideally suited to build capacity for TCG and our field. His promotion also exemplifies our commitment to the professional development and advancement of our staff, and we all look forward to working with Kevin in this new role.”
In his new post, Bitterman will work closely with TCG’s executive leadership, staff, and board to cultivate strategic partnerships that will support TCG’s philanthropic programs and initiatives. In his previous role, he co-developed and managed TCG’s Global Connections, Audience (R)Evolution, and Leadership U[niversity] programs. Recent strategic partnerships include coproducing TCG’s 2016 Finding Home: Exile, Migration, and Belonging Global Pre-Conference with the Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics at Georgetown University. He also led cultural-exchange delegations to Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, and the United Arab Emirates, and served on TCG’s Theatre Nation Workgroup with the EmcArts Innovation Lab for Arts Development Agencies. In addition, Bitterman is a founding member of the Global Theater Initiative (GTI) and member of TCG’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Workgroup.
“Our vision for this new cultivation structure goes beyond transactional relationships and traditional development approaches,” said Adrian Budhu, TCG chief operating officer and deputy director, in a statement. “Instead, we are seeking to forge deep, reciprocal relationships with our philanthropic and strategic partners. Building on Kevin’s longstanding relationships in the funder community, this department’s focus on cultivating and stewarding strategic partnerships will not only enhance the visibility and impact of TCG’s programs, but support the kind of bold initiatives our field needs now.”
Prior to TCG, Bitterman served as the assistant director of the Bush Foundation’s Artist Fellowship Program and served as producing artistic associate with Theatre de la Jeune Lune. He received his B.A. from St. John’s University, and is a graduate of the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. He is an alum of the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute and currently serves on Manhattan Community Board 10 in Central Harlem.
“Like many in our field, TCG played a formative role during the early stage of my career,” said Bitterman in a statement, who received a TCG New Generations: Mentoring the Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship before joining TCG in New York. “That experience continues to inform my commitment to the theatre community, and I am eager to serve TCG in this new role as we chart the course for the future of TCG’s programs and services.”
