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New hire

Denver-based Swallow Hill Music Association hired Aengus Finnan as its new president and CEO, according to a news release.

Finnan, who most recently worked as the executive director of the Folk Alliance International in Kansas City, Missouri, starts his new role Oct. 1.

The nonprofit community for musicians, and “music lovers who appreciate the ability of music to bring people together,” was founded in 1979.

“As a mission-based organization with a remarkable staff and incredible programs, there is an exciting opportunity for us to now focus on expanding our reach and deepening our impact for the full diversity of Denver and the region, while leveraging our national legacy in contemporary ways,” Finnan said in the release.

Born in Ireland, Finnan studied the arts in Canada, taught school in Indigenous arctic communities and toured North America as a singer-songwriter. He’s the founding artistic director of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival in Grafton, Ontario, which closed in 2019.

“His depth of experience and leadership in the music industry on an international level lends itself exceptionally well to the work we are doing here in Colorado,” Swallow Hill Music Board Chair Walt Dehaven said in the release. “This, coupled with Aengus’s passion for music education, musical expression, and community engagement make him the ideal person to lead us forward.”

The nationwide search was led by Arts Consulting Group Inc.

New hire

Nonprofit north Denver organization RiNo Art District hired Charity Von Guinness as its new executive director.

She takes over for Tracy Weil, who will stay involved with the organization as a member of the board of directors after 20 years with the group.

The district describes itself as a “grassroots arts organization dedicated to fostering a welcoming, creative community where a diversity of artists, residents and businesses thrive.” 

“We set out to find a visionary leader who would be a champion for the creative community, a steward for thoughtful economic development and a collaborative partner to our members, and we found that and more in Charity,” Weil said in a news release. “Her experience in arts advocacy, marketing, nonprofit development and community outreach, along with her passion for promoting equity and belonging made her the ideal candidate for this role.”

A year ago, the RiNo Art District partnered with the community to open RiNo ArtPark, with affordable artist studios, the adjoining Community Hub with a restaurant incubator, and a branch of Denver Public Library, at 1900 35th St., Denver. 

Von Guinness previously served as the Miami director and national adviser for ProjectArt, a nonprofit dedicated to arts education in the Miami Dade County Libraries. Most recently, Von Guinness served as director of development at alternative art space Locust Projects, also in Florida.

The inaugural Art RiNo Festival runs through Sept. 11. For more information, visit rinoartdistrict.org.

New hire

Unico Properties LLC, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Unico Investment Group LLC, hired Billy Woodward to serve as its new Colorado market leader, according to a news release.

Woodward replaces former longtime Colorado market leader and vice president Austin Kane. Kane had worked for Unico since 2013 and was a former chairman of the downtown Denver Business Improvement District.

Woodward most recently served as vice president for the Lincoln Property Co. He’s been in the Denver commercial real estate market for about a decade, also working for Transwestern and Newmark.

“Denver is a foundational market for Unico and we are excited to have Billy help grow our platform over the long-term,” Andrew Cox, senior vice president and market leader at Unico Properties, said in the release. “Billy joins an incredibly strong local team in Denver with leaders like Dawn Moore, Russ Davis, and Craig Frame, and we believe deeply in the immense opportunity available. Billy’s market knowledge and reputation for superior client service will be instrumental in furthering our mission to create innovative, people-focused places.”

In Colorado, Unico owns and manages a total of 3.1 million square feet of office and mixed-use commercial space, according to the release, including 1875 Lawrence in downtown Denver and more than a dozen properties on downtown Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. It’s been in the Colorado market for 15 years.

“I look forward to working alongside the team to continue to grow Unico’s legacy in this market while also representing the cores values of Unico in the Denver real estate community,” Woodward said in the release.