Following a search, Hillary Meyer was named executive director of the Reg Lenna Center for The Arts. Submitted photo

Hillary Meyer has been appointed executive director of Reg Lenna Center for The Arts.

Following a comprehensive search and interview process conducted by the organization’s board of directors, Meyer began in the position on July 1.

Meyer has worked in arts and entertainment for more than 20 years including stints in film and television production including “Mad Men,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “Kinsey.”

In 2011, she joined the then Arts Council for Chautauqua County and Reg Lenna Civic Center in the accounting department. Meyer moved up through the merging of the organizations into Reg Lenna Center for The Arts, as she became business manager, then interim executive director beginning in September 2019.

“As the search for an executive director continued and COVID hit, it became clear to us that Hillary possessed the leadership we need to move forward,” said Maria Kindberg, Reg Lenna Center for the Arts board president. “Over the past several months, her understanding of and commitment to the organization became evident. We are confident that, under Hillary’s leadership, The Reg will thrive.”

Currently the center is preparing to reopen upon New York state allowing theaters to resume operations in a fuller scope. It is anticipated that movies will be shown first at reduced audience capacity followed by live events. Safety protocols and procedures regarding COVID-19 prevention will be announced once an opening date is determined. Community radio station WRFA-LP 107.9 FM continues to operate fully as an essential service.

Since the organization has been closed to the public, Meyer has worked to secure financial support in the form of grants and loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, Chautauqua County Crisis Response Fund, Arts Services Initiative of WNY and Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

A Jamestown native, Meyer is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology and is affiliated with a local Leadership Collaborative and Allen Park Women’s Club. She is actively involved in her children’s activities including area sports, Jamestown High School cross country team and Jamestown High School Marching Band and Scandinavian Folk Festival dancing. Meyer lives in the city with her husband Barry, owner of Let’s Go Video, and daughters Daisy and Ruby.

For more information on Reg Lenna Center for The Arts, visit reglenna.com.