Nancy Devine joined The Wallace Foundation in September 2001 as Director of Communities. She is leading a city-based out-of-school learning initiative in Boston, Chicago, New York City, Providence and Washington, D.C. The initiative seeks to help cities develop and test ways to build sustainable systems that increase participation in high quality learning activities outside of the school day, so that children and youth, especially those with the greatest needs, gain developmental benefits.
From 2004 to early 2007, Devine was also responsible for Wallace’s grant making in the arts and led the development of refined and expanded strategies in the arts. They included helping arts institutions to bring the arts to more people, especially adults and children who do not participate in the arts; and supporting a city-wide approach, recently launched in Dallas, to enhance local systems to provide high-quality arts learning opportunities for school age youth.
Devine has over 25 years of experience working to revitalize communities. Prior to joining Wallace, she was Senior Vice President of Program and Nonprofit Investment with the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, an economic development corporation. While there, she led the creation and implementation of major initiatives to strengthen the arts and culture industry, build the capacity of nonprofits, and develop the workforce. She held senior positions in New York City and State government under Mayors Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins, and Governor Mario Cuomo.
Devine received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Arizona State University and was the recipient of a Fannie Mae Fellowship for the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.