Helfrich came to Dayton in 2008 to serve as president of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and became president and CEO of the newly created arts alliance four years later. The DPAA merger was the first of its kind in the nation, and the DPAA remains the only arts organization that combines a professional dance company, opera company, and philharmonic orchestra as one operating entity.
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McDonald retired in 2018 as Interim CEO of Dayton Society of Natural History (Boonshoft Museum of Discovery). Prior to this role, she served as the market president of KeyBank, a position from which she retired in 2017.
McDonald has served on numerous organizational boards, including the board of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance as well as healthcare and civic nonprofits. She has passion for the arts in the Dayton area, and she brings a thorough understanding of how this unique organization formed and has operated over the last several years.
“I am honored to return to the DPAA to help steward the organization through their transition,” McDonald said in a news release. “The DPAA staff, executive leadership and Board of Trustees are a group of professional and community minded individuals who are dedicated to the sustainability of the organization. I look forward to my time working alongside them.”
The DPAA Board of Directors will continue its process of a formal search for a permanent president and CEO.
"The Board of Directors is confident that Pat McDonald will bring vital insight and leadership to the DPAA as we conduct our search for a permanent President and CEO,” said John Beran, chairman of the DPAA board, in a news release. “Pat’s depth of experience and involvement with the community, roles with the DPAA Board of Trustees and Dayton Ballet Association, and overall passion for the arts will be a great asset to the organization.”
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