Michael Marsicano (born 1956) serves on the boards of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Leon Levine Foundation. He is the former president and CEO of Foundation for the Carolinas, retiring in January 2022. In 2017, Marsicano was named No. 1 on the list of 50 Most Powerful People in Charlotte by Charlotte Magazine.[1]

Biography

Marsicano received his Bachelor of Science, Masters of Education and Doctor of Philosophy from Duke University.[2] He served as Executive Director of the Durham Arts Council in Durham, North Carolina, from 1982-1989. In 1989, he left to oversee the Arts & Science Council in Charlotte. While at its head, the united arts fund became the nation's highest in per capita annual giving, and the Arts & Science Council became one of the largest endowed arts councils in the United States.

In 1996, with Marsicano at head of ASC, controversy erupted around a Charlotte Repertory Theatre production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America.[3] Local evangelical leaders protested the themes of the play and the onstage nudity,[4] citing public funding via the Arts & Science Council as the core of its argument. Marsicano stood by ASC’s decision to fund, and the Mecklenburg County Commission responded by removing $2.5 million in funding to ASC.[5] After four of the five commissioners who voted to strip the Arts and Science Council of its resources lost their seats in the next election, funds were restored and increased.[1]

In 1999, Marsicano was tapped to lead Foundation for the Carolinas, only the third head of the organization in its 60 years.[2] During his tenure, FFTC has grown from assets of $240 million[2] to more than $2.5 billion in 2017,[6] and approximately $4 Billion by his retirement in 2023. FFTC grew from the 35th[1] largest community foundation in America to sixth[7] largest. Marsicano has helped raise more than $3.5 billion[1] in philanthropic gifts for cultural, educational and social-economic initiatives in the Mecklenburg County region. He serves on the boards of Duke University, Duke University Health System, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte Center City Partners. Marsicano has chaired the boards of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (now Americans for the Arts) and guest panels at the National Endowment for the Arts.

Awards

Marsicano received the Vision Award from Charlotte Center City Partners[8] in 2016, the Arc of Triumph Award from Johnson C. Smith University in 2011, the distinguished service award from the University of North Carolina – Charlotte in 2010, was named Innovator of the Year in 2008 by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce[9] and won the Philanthropy[10] Campeon Award in 2005 from the Latin American Coalition. In 2018, Marsicano was named to the NonProfit Times’ 21st -annual Power and[11] Influence Top 50 List, highlighting the nation’s top philanthropic leaders. In 2022, he won the Citizen of the Carolinas award from the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Duke University and was inducted into the Order of the Longleaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

Personal

Michael is married to Leslie Marsicano,[12] the Director of the Preyer Scholars Program at Queens University of Charlotte. They have three children. On March 5, 2023, one of his children, Jamie, was arrested at the site of a music festival connected to the Stop Cop City campaign.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rachel Jones (February 1, 2017). "The Visionary: Michael Marsicano". Charlotte Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Greg Lacour (June 24, 2013). "Civic Duty". Charlotte Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ Page Leggett (May 7, 2014). "Baring our souls: The return of Angels in America". Creative Loafing Charlotte. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  4. ↑ Perry Tannenbaum (June 21, 2012). "Angels in America". Creative Loafing Charlotte. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  5. ↑ "No gays, please, we're Carolinian". The Economist. April 24, 1997. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  6. ↑ Foundation for the Carolinas. "The Generosity of Our Region". Foundation for the Carolinas. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  7. ↑ Mark Price (March 26, 2017). "Foundation for the Carolinas tops $2.1 billion in assets at 'critical moment' for city". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  8. ↑ Katherine Peralta (April 6, 2016). "Vision Award to honor Marsicano". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  9. ↑ Kerry Hall (August 19, 2008). "Chamber to honor innovators". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ Johnson C. Smith University (2011). "Arch of Triumph Gala" (PDF). Johnson C. Smith University. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  11. ↑ Paul Clolery (August 2, 2018). "NonProfit Times Releases 2018 'Power & Influence' Top 50 List". Philanthropy News Digest - a service of Foundation Center. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ Jennifer Gilewski (May 25, 2011). "Snapshot: Michael Marsicano". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
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