Anderson Ranch Arts Center has hired Peter Waanders as its president and chief executive officer, the nonprofit announced Monday.
Waanders comes to the Ranch from the Aspen Institute, where he has directed the Society of Fellows program since 2011. He will begin his tenure at the Snowmass Village campus Jan. 15.
“I have always admired the work of Anderson Ranch, and I share the organization’s vision of an exciting and meaningful future in the world of contemporary art,” Waanders said in the announcement. “It has grown and thrived and I am confident we can continue that trajectory for years to come.”
Waanders succeeds Nancy Wilhelms, who had served as executive director of the Ranch since 2013. The Ranch has restructured that top job, with Waanders serving as a CEO alongside a yet-to-be-hired executive serving as “curator in residence.”
At the Institute, Waanders oversaw strategic planning, management, fundraising and programming curation during a period of rapid growth and the expansion to year-round programing in major cities around the U.S.
Before joining the Institute he owned both independent bookstores and was a partner in David Floria Gallery in Aspen.
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“We conducted an international search to find the right fit for this president and CEO role, and are delighted to have found someone with knowledge, enthusiasm and a tremendous reputation right in our own backyard,” said Sue Hostetler, chair of the Ranch’s board of trustees. “With his vision and expertise, Peter will take the Ranch to even greater heights.”
Waanders added of his new role: “My life’s work has been about connecting people with ideas, values, inspiration and each other. … Anderson Ranch is an arts and ideas organization with an international reputation and its feet firmly planted in the local community. I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Anderson Ranch Arts Center taps Aspen Institute’s Peter Waanders as CEO