The Arvada Center has named Noelle DeLage, chief communications and philanthropy officer of the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, as its next president & CEO. DeLage succeeds the retiring Philip Sneed effective July 1, just as the Arvada Center begins its 50th theater season.

In a news release, the Arvada Center said DeLage has a passion for the arts, with a focus on organizational growth and impact. It called her “a seasoned nonprofit executive with nearly a decade of leadership experience that includes fundraising, communication, and best practices to strengthen financial sustainability and broadening community engagement.

At the Denver Zoo, DeLage launched a new conservation brand, grew fundraising and set key directions for government and SCFD relationships. That is the seven-county tax that raises funds for metro arts organizations. She led the Zoo’s $75 million “Into the Great Wild Open” campaign – ultimately raising more than $82 million.

“The arts and humanities have profoundly shaped me,” DeLage said. “I believe creativity is integral to fostering lifelong learning and cultivating environments where individuals can find a sense of belonging.”

Sneed’s career at the Arvada Center began with his first paid acting role, followed by work as a Scene Shop employee in 1983, and stints as a director in 2011 and 2012. He was hired as the Arvada Center Executive Director in 2013 when the Arvada Center was still a department of the City of Arvada. During the pandemic, he helped to secure more than $6.2 million in federal funding that helped to keep the doors open.