The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces Harold Brown as first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Harold Brown as its first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, a new leadership position created to drive the organization’s ongoing DE&I initiatives and practices throughout the organization and community catalyze, guide and implement. Brown will report directly to CSO President and CEO Jonathan Martin, who leads the organization’s DE&I division and serves as a key member of the senior management team. Brown was selected through a rigorous local and national search conducted by Bridge Partners LLC, a certified minority supplier and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).

A search committee of CSO executives and community members consisted of: Rob McDonald, CSO Chairman of the Board – Partners, Taft Stettinius and Hollister; John Moore, President of Moore Air; Anne Mulder, retired; Group Vice President Associate Relations, Macy’s; Stephanie Smith, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, 5/3 Bank; Charla Weiss, Chair of the CSO DE&I Committee, Director, Bureau for Diversity and Inclusion, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; and Sheila Williams, author.

“As we accelerate the work we began several years ago, it has become increasingly important to ensure that we have the resources necessary to fully support our internal and external DE&I goals, all of which serve Cincinnati,” said Jonathan Martin, President and CEO of CSO. “I am delighted that we found Harold in our search directly in our own community. He will bring the CSO tremendous experience in generating meaningful results in the organizations he has worked for.”

“The CSO is among the first major performing arts organizations in the nation to take this bold move, and I am delighted to be selected to serve in this new and exciting role,” said Harold Brown. “Jonathan Martin, the board of directors, senior management and community partners have already demonstrated their serious commitment to DEI. Together we will continue to build a diverse and inclusive internal culture and work towards ensuring that all members of the community find the 2 CSOs Belonging to the most relevant, welcoming, and accessible anchor institutions in our community. “

Brown, a native of Oxford and a Harvard graduate, has devoted his career to roles in organizations that promote opportunities for underserved populations. Most recently, he led grants strategy as Vice President, Strategy & Policy at Interact for Health and previously as Vice President, Community Strategies at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF). Before that, Brown spent more than 16 years in various leadership positions at KnowledgeWorks and began his career as the head of Multicultural Enrollment Services at Miami University. Brown strongly believes that community service is important. He is a board member of the Greater Cincinnati YMCA, Cradle 2 Career Cincinnati, Mt. St. Joseph University, GreenLight Cincinnati, School Boards, and AchievePoint Career Academy. Brown lives in the Glendale / Springdale area with his wife Gwen and their son Christopher, a senior cellist at St. Xavier High School. Harold and Gwen are longtime art sponsors, including ArtsWave and the CSO.

“I applaud the CSO for demonstrating his leadership role in promoting DE&I in our community by hiring our first Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer,” said Stephanie Smith, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer of the 5th / 3 bank. “The work of justice and inclusion is enduring and the appointment of Harold Brown is a testament to the orchestra’s commitment to this work in the art industry.”

“We are delighted to have Harold Brown as the CSO’s first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer,” said Rob McDonald, Chairman and Partner of the CSO, Taft Stettinius and Hollister. “With Harold’s proven leadership, deep community relationships, collaborative nature, and decades of experience, I have no doubt that he will help our organization achieve the overall DE&I goal of our Strategic Plan: ‘Our community and the world at all Reflecting levels – on stage, behind the scenes, and in neighborhoods. ‘”

Harold Brown is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Office of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a new role created to catalyze, guide, and execute the organization’s DE&I initiatives and practices throughout the organization and community. Previously, he was Vice President, Strategy & Policy at Interact for Health, where he led the strategy and implementation of the grantmaking organization and built partnerships for the benefit of Interact for Health and the community.

Harold was previously Vice President, Community Strategies at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF). In this role, Harold provided the leadership and vision for the full spectrum of GCF grant award programs, including developing an in-depth strategy to promote community leadership. Harold was instrumental in driving GCF’s policy change to prioritize racial justice as an overarching mission. Additionally, he worked with GCF donors to achieve their philanthropic goals by making sure they are aware of our region’s greatest needs and opportunities.

Prior to joining GCF, Harold Brown held various management positions at KnowledgeWorks for more than 16 years. It focused on researching and developing ways for KnowledgeWorks to invest in and support initiatives to dramatically improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged youth in cities across the country.

Harold is from Oxford, Ohio and is a graduate of Harvard University. He began his career as a senior researcher at WGBH Boston. Upon his return to Ohio, Harold led the Multicultural Enrollment Services at Miami University, where he led the university’s successful efforts to dramatically increase the enrollment and retention of minority students. Harold is a firm believer in the importance of community service and serves on the board of directors of the Greater Cincinnati YMCA, Cradle 2 Career Cincinnati, Mt. St. Joseph University, GreenLight Cincinnati, School Boards and AchievePoint Career Academy.

Harold lives in the Glendale / Springdale area with his wife Gwen and their son Christopher, a senior cellist at St. Xavier High School. Harold and Gwen are longstanding art sponsors, including ArtsWave and CSO (main donors for Classical Roots).