The Cincinnati Enquirer announced the ten winners of the 1998 Women of the Year in their March 7, 1999 edition. Among them was Cincinnati Ballet's own Melody Sawyer Richardson, Board Member and Vice President of the Development Division.

Since Melody's return to Cincinnati in 1994 from several years as an attorney for a leading New York law firm and general counsel for several New York and New Jersey corporations, she joined the board of the Cincinnati Ballet. She had served on the board of the Garden State Ballet while in New York. With the Cincinnati Ballet, she has become legendary as an organizer, board member recruiter, and fundraiser. Her creativity, ability to lead, tenacity, resourcefulness, and connections have made her an invaluable asset to the Company. She is currently the Vice President of the Development Division and a member of the Executive Committee.

One of her most outstanding efforts was the creation, organization, and fundraising for the Company's innovative Home Cities Tour. This program is an effort to bring the arts to suburbia by taking the Company to outlying venues. This program is now being emulated by other arts organizations. It is currently in its second year and Melody almost singlehandedly raised all of the funding required for it.

This year Melody has also chaired the Ballet's Trustee Contribution campaign and succeeded in procuring contributions from every board member by early December – a feat never accomplished before.

Previously she worked on the Board Nominating Committee and chaired the Adopt-A-Dancer Committee. She has been particularly effective in identifying and recruiting new board members. Her connections and her ability to recognize appropriate talent along with her persuasiveness and charm have made her very successful here.

In addition to these attributes, she has been a consistent and generous financial contributor to the Cincinnati Ballet.

With the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, her roles and successes have been similar to those with the Cincinnati Ballet but with a much different organization. The CCO is much smaller with a budget about one tenth that of the Cincinnati Ballet. It has a staff of only two full time people and is currently under stress to replace its conductor, Keith Lockhart, who leaves at the end of this season. It is an company in need of organizational and fundraising help.

As with the Cincinnati Ballet, Melody has brought her development and leadership skills to the Company and achieved some astonishing results. She, as with the Ballet, is the chair of the Development Committee, a member of the Board Nominating Committee, and a member the Executive Committee for the CCO.

Under her influence, the CCO's fundraising and board recruitment have made quantum advances. Due to her development leadership, every sponsorship for the season was sold before the season was half over – another feat never accomplished before.

She also has been instrumental in identifying and recruiting a number of talented board members. And again, with her help, the CCO's efforts in performing in suburban venues have been most successful.

Her financial contributions to the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra include the sponsorship of the soloists for the March, 1998 concerts and the sponsorship of the final series of concerts conducted by Keith Lockhart in Cincinnati in May, 1999.

Besides the Cincinnati Ballet and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, she has made a profound effect on numerous other arts and charitable organizations here. Listed below is a selection of events and organizations which she has helped immensely:

• Chaired the highly successful November 1997 Tribute to Patricia Corbett.

• Chaired the inaugural National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Gala which raised over $300,000.

• Was a sponsor for the Cincinnati Arts Festival "Sing Cincinnati!" and is Vice President and Chair of the Development Committee for the Cincinnati Arts Festival.

• Is on the Regional Advisory Board of the Arts Consortium.

• Is a Board Member of the Cincinnati Opera and a member of its Marketing and Development committees.

• Involved in fundraising for the Contemporary Arts Center Capital Campaign, the May Festival, the Cincinnati Art Museum and probably many more.

• She regularly makes her home available for galas and fundraisers by worthy organizations with which she is not directly involved.

• Is a board member of the Colonial Dames of America (State of Ohio).

• Is chairing the Spring Gala for the Aids Volunteers of Cincinnati in the spring of 1999.

Melody Sawyer Richardson is a breath of fresh air to the cultural and artistic life of Cincinnati and is, therefore, highly qualified as one of the Enquirer Women of the Year for 1999.

She deserves the highest accolades for her almost immeasurable contributions of time, talent, and treasure.

See the Enquirer Announcement and Picture

Women of the Year Post Ceremony Wrapup

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