Buffalo, NY – Alice F. Jacobs has been elected President of the Board of Directors of The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, the governing body of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Jacobs succeeds Thomas R. Hyde, who became Board President in October 2013.

Janne Sirén, Albright-Knox Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director, said, “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Tom, who is a beacon of excellence in various fields in Western New York and far beyond. Together with Alice we will continue to reach for the stars. I couldn’t be more delighted at her appointment as the thirty-ninth president of our Board. Alice is an outstanding leader and an ardent supporter of the Albright-Knox and its work, and I am looking forward to working closely with her as we continue the growth of this fantastic museum for the benefit of our community.”

Jacobs, a member of the museum’s Board since 2014, said, “Building on the meaningful work of those whom I follow in Board leadership, I look forward to helping the Albright-Knox reach its potential as envisioned in the recently completed strategic plan—a vibrant community campus, supporting our exhibitions and educational initiatives and truly engaging our whole community with what is a unique and world-class asset.”

Jacobs is well-known in the Western New York community for her philanthropic leadership of numerous community organizations. She is a founding member and the chair emeritus of the WNY Women’s Foundation. She also serves on the Elmwood Franklin School Board of Trustees and is a board member of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, where she chairs the Governance Committee, co-chairs the Strategic Planning Committee, and serves on the Impact Committee. She is a past member and treasurer of the Buffalo Seminary Board of Trustees, a former board member and vice president of the Maria Love Convalescent Fund, and a past member of the boards of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and the Junior League of Buffalo. She and her husband, Jeremy Jacobs Jr., co-chaired the United Way Annual Campaign.

Jacobs earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She practiced corporate and business-related immigration law at Hodgson Russ LLP. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Creativity and Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College; her degree was granted by the State University of New York.

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