First State Ballet Theatre welcomes Giovanna Saffos as new development director
Giovanna Saffos has joined First State Ballet Theatre as the company’s first paid, full-time development director. An alumna of FSBT’s acclaimed ballet school, Saffos recently graduated from George Washington University, where she earned a bachelor of business administration degree in international business and marketing with a dance minor. She takes over development duties from Mimi Link, FSBT’s secretary, educational outreach coordinator and longtime volunteer development director.
Saffos reports to Robert Grenfell, FSBT’s president and pro bono executive director, and is responsible for planning and executing a comprehensive development program including major gifts, donor relations, prospect development, grants, annual giving and events.
Grenfell said, “Our selection committee was very impressed with Giovanna’s intelligence, accomplishments, communication skills, energy and her passion for our art form. As a graduate of our ballet school, who has performed in numerous FSBT productions, she understands the value we bring to citizens throughout our state.
“We look forward to supporting her in broadening our contributor base, enabling us to present more performances of more productions in more venues throughout our state and helping us move toward creating a paid management staff,” Grenfell said.
Saffos will work from FSBT’s headquarters in Wilmington’s beautiful and historic Grand Opera House.
First State Ballet Theatre is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation founded in 2000, whose mission is to bring the beauty and excitement of professional ballet performances to audiences throughout Delaware, to provide superb ballet training and performance opportunities to aspiring Delaware dancers, and to educate the Delaware dance audience of the future.
The company performs regularly in major theaters in all three counties from Wilmington to the beach. This calendar year, FSBT has scheduled 25 performances of 13 programs in 10 venues from Talleyville to Selbyville.
