ArtsQuest announced recently the name of its new president and CEO: Katherine E. "Kassie" Hilgert, the nonprofit's senior vice president of marketing and advancement.

Hilgert will transition to the president's role over the next several months while working closely with ArtsQuest Founder and President Jeff Parks. She will officially assume the president's responsibilities upon Parks' retirement in January 2015.

The Hanover Township resident joined the company in 2008 and has overseen ArtsQuest's sponsorship, marketing, development, ticketing, public relations and volunteer departments; cultivated local partnerships to expand arts and cultural programming; secured support for Musikfest and helped raise $26 million to construct the SteelStacks campus.

She is a graduate of Salisbury High School and Pennsylvania State University, and has extensive experience in marketing, development, corporate communications and community relations. She has worked at Medstar Television, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Air Products. She has also served on numerous boards, including Good Shepherd, Boy Scouts of America's Minsi Trails and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.

"I am humbled to be selected as the next president and CEO of such a dynamic organization and to follow in the footsteps of a true visionary," said Hilgert.

"Our mission is to provide unique arts and cultural experiences in a way that drives economic development in urban areas, but it's a mission we cannot achieve alone. ArtsQuest has always been and will always be a community-based organization that thrives because of the tremendous and extensive support of our boards, donors, sponsors, volunteers, members, public partners, staff and so many others. ArtsQuest and the entire Lehigh Valley have a bright future, and I look forward to creating and strengthening partnerships that drive us toward sustainable growth while delivering exceptional experiences."

Hilgert was recommended by a nomination committee following a nationwide search and was recently approved by the ArtsQuest Board of Trustees.

"The ArtsQuest Board of Trustees is very pleased to unanimously support Kassie Hilgert as our next president and CEO," Chairman Joe Pietrantonio said.

"During our five-month search, Kassie clearly rose to the forefront in meeting the key criteria that we set for the next leader of the organization. She is exemplary in her knowledge and passion for the ArtsQuest mission, her leadership skills and her demonstrated ability to work with the many constituents of the Lehigh Valley who make ArtsQuest successful. We are all very excited about the future of ArtsQuest and are thrilled to have Kassie as our new leader."

Parks, meanwhile, will become executive director of the ArtsQuest Foundation, the nonprofit foundation established to help support the longterm sustainability of ArtsQuest.

Parks was named the executive director by the ArtsQuest Foundation Board of Trustees and will begin the part-time position in May 2015.