The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is pleased to announce that Gregory S. Harris has joined the Museum’s staff to lead the nonprofit institution’s development office. Harris is responsible for key Museum initiatives, including the $35 million Campaign to Support the Rock Hall. He will also work closely with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum President and CEO Terry Stewart, the Rock Hall’s Board of Trustees, the city of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County Commissioners and other business and community leaders to plan for the 2009 Induction Ceremony’s return to Cleveland.
"We’ve outlined a long-term vision to ensure that Cleveland continues to be known across the globe as the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, " said Stewart. "I’ve known Greg for a number of years and have been actively recruiting him both for his professional acumen as well as his love and knowledge of the art form we call rock and roll that the Museum celebrates. As such, I’m looking forward to working with Greg to continue to make our vision a reality. He has experience building similar programs and will be a great addition to our team."
Harris was previously Vice President of Development at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and had been with that organization since 1994. Whilst there, he initiated programs that both sustained and drove the Museum’s growth. These programs included government relations, corporate sponsorship, major gift/endowment campaign and an annual fund. Prior to his association with baseball, Harris was the co-founder of a retail music store that specialized in independent and rare recordings and has served as the road manager for a national touring band.
"It is an honor to be entrusted with a leadership role at an institution that is dedicated to preserving, presenting and celebrating another great hallmark of American culture — rock and roll, " said Harris. "I am very proud of what our team in Cooperstown has accomplished and I am honored to join the talented staff in Cleveland at this important time. The internationally recognized Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is the home of the artifacts and exhibits that shape and celebrate the music of our lives. I’ve greatly enjoyed my tenure at the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is a wonderful institution. Joining the team in Cleveland allows me to reconnect with my passion for popular music. In addition, I look forward to becoming an active member of the Cleveland community."
Jeff Idelson, the Baseball Hall of Fame President noted that "Greg has been an integral member of the Baseball Hall of Fame staff for the last 14 years and has been an active participant in the Cooperstown community. After starting in our library in 1994 in the broadcast archive department, Greg served as membership director and then development director, before being promoted to vice president of development in 2005. In that role he greatly developed donor support. We’re sorry to see him leave and are confident he’ll contribute greatly to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
Harris is responsible for planning and administering the strategic direction of the Rock Hall’s fundraising programs and activities including the Capital Campaign, the Annual Fund, major gifts, cultivation events, research and grant writing and membership. He also oversees all aspects of donor relations and stewardship.
Greg has a Master’s degree in history and museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, and Bachelor’s degree in American history from Temple University. He is married and has two children.
About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.
The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland. Children under 8 and Museum members are free. The Museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. When you become a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the world of rock and roll becomes yours to explore. Call 216.515.1939 for information on becoming a member. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK or visit www.rockhall.com.
