BOPA confirms Rachel D. Graham as next CEO

By Alexis Taylor

AFRO Managing Editor

Rachel D. Graham will serve as the next chief executive officer of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. 

A unanimous vote confirmed the appointment on Feb. 6 shortly after 9 a.m. 

“Numerous candidates” were interviewed “to try to get the right fit for the future of the organization,” said Andrew Cheaves, acting chair of the BOPA Board of Directors in the meeting, which took place virtually on Zoom. “We did in fact get the proper check in with the staff and we checked in with the mayor’s office.” 

Cheaves said Graham was the right choice based on “consensus and discussions within the CEO search committee as well.” 

Graham currently serves as the director of external relations for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. 

According to information released by BOPA in a statement ahead of the confirmation, the Winslow, New Jersey native was selected after “an extensive national search over the past year.”

Graham has been a leader in the world of strategic communications and public relations for years. Prior to her role with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, she was the director of communications for the Family League of Baltimore, where she also served as a public information officer. Graham’s time in the communications field also includes work for the Neighborhoods Partnership Network and Harmony Neighborhood Development in New

Orleans and the Greater Houston Partnership in Texas. 

“I am immensely grateful to the search committee, the Board of Directors and Mayor Scott for placing their faith in my ability to lead BOPA at this critical juncture,” said Graham, in the BOPA statement. “Arts and culture – as an economic engine of Baltimore – has the potential to not only attract visitors from around the world, but to change the narrative that some hold about this beautifully diverse community, while also serving as a catalyst to improve outcomes for all residents who call Charm City home.” 

“We can – at once – shift perception and reality by ensuring that the opportunity for full, equitable participation in the cultural economy for all Baltimoreans is within reach,” she continued. “I believe BOPA must play a leading role in this shift, and I welcome the opportunity to serve with the Board, staff, our elected leaders and community stakeholders as we move forward together.”