Kayla Billings Named Executive Director as Danielle Dieterich Concludes a Decade of Leadership
Cuyahoga Valley Art Center is pleased to announce a planned leadership transition as Executive Director Danielle M. Dieterich, M.A., concludes ten years of service to the organization. Following a thoughtful succession planning process, the Board of Directors has selected Kayla Billings as CVAC’s next Executive Director.
Billings previously served as CVAC’s Director of Programs & Community Relations and has worked alongside Dieterich for the past five years. A practicing artist, she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Memphis and serves on the Board of Directors for the Akron Society of Artists. Throughout her tenure at CVAC, Billings has helped lead educational programming, exhibitions, workshops, scholarship initiatives, community partnerships, and daily operations while cultivating strong relationships with artists, students, faculty, volunteers, members, and community partners.
Recognizing her leadership potential, CVAC intentionally invested in Billings’ professional development over the past two years through operational training, nonprofit leadership coursework at the University of Akron, and hands-on experience in organizational leadership. The Board selected Billings not only because of her experience, but because she has already demonstrated the leadership, vision, and commitment necessary to guide CVAC into its next chapter.
“This transition has been years in the making,” said Board President Noreen Molek. “One of Danielle’s greatest accomplishments has been preparing the organization for the future. Kayla knows our mission, our community, and our artists, and we are excited to see her continue building upon the strong foundation that has been created.”
Since joining CVAC in 2016, Dieterich has helped guide the organization through a period of unprecedented growth and organizational development. During her tenure, membership increased from 79 members to more than 500, educational programming nearly doubled, a scholarship program was developed, and exhibitions grew into one of Northern Ohio’s premier opportunities for practicing artists.
Under her leadership, CVAC secured more than $550,000 in grant funding, supporting programming, capital improvements, scholarships, technology upgrades, and organizational sustainability. The organization also completed significant facility improvements, strengthened community partnerships throughout Summit County, modernized its technology infrastructure, and helped expand public art initiatives throughout the City of Cuyahoga Falls.
Among the initiatives Dieterich is most proud of is the creation of the Vibrant Palette Scholarship Fund, which has provided more than 260 scholarships to children and adults throughout the region since 2021, helping remove financial barriers to arts education while continuing a legacy of community support that dates back to CVAC’s Women’s Auxiliary.
Beyond organizational growth, Dieterich helped cultivate a culture that placed artists at the center of every decision. She believed that practicing artists, whether just starting out or with decades of experience, deserved a welcoming place to learn, exhibit, and continue developing their skills. Under her leadership, CVAC became known not only for the quality of its exhibitions and educational programming, but for creating a supportive community where artists encouraged one another, shared knowledge, celebrated successes, and found the confidence to continue growing throughout their artistic journeys.
That commitment extended well beyond CVAC’s walls. Dieterich championed collaboration over competition, helping strengthen relationships among arts organizations throughout the region. She launched CreativeCONNECT, an annual gathering designed to bring together Summit County’s visual arts organizations to celebrate their shared missions, exchange ideas, and strengthen the practicing artist community.
“Serving as Executive Director has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Dieterich shared. “Together, we built far more than an art center; we built a community where artists encourage one another, friendships are formed, creativity flourishes, and people of every experience level know they belong. Watching artists discover their confidence, develop lifelong friendships, and continue creating has been the greatest privilege of my career.”
This fall, Dieterich will begin attending the University of Akron School of Law, where she plans to pursue Art Law with an emphasis on intellectual property and copyright law. She hopes to combine her decade of nonprofit leadership experience with legal advocacy to help protect artists’ rights, advance public art initiatives, and expand opportunities for artists, nonprofit organizations, and local governments throughout Summit County.
For Billings, the opportunity to lead CVAC is both exciting and deeply meaningful.
“I am honored by the confidence the Board has placed in me and incredibly grateful to Danielle for her mentorship over the past several years,” Billings shared. “Cuyahoga Valley Art Center has become my home, and I look forward to continuing its tradition of providing outstanding arts education, exhibitions, and opportunities for artists throughout our community.”
The Board of Directors expressed its gratitude for Dieterich’s leadership while looking forward to the organization’s next chapter.
“Danielle’s passion, vision, and unwavering commitment have transformed CVAC in ways that will benefit our community for generations,” said Molek. “While we will miss her tremendously, we are incredibly proud to see her pursue this next chapter. She leaves behind not only a stronger organization, but a leader who is ready to carry that work forward.”
With this thoughtful leadership transition, Cuyahoga Valley Art Center is well positioned for its next chapter. Building upon a decade of organizational growth and community impact, the Board of Directors, staff, faculty, volunteers, members, and supporters look forward to continuing CVAC’s tradition of providing meaningful opportunities for artists to learn, create, exhibit, and connect for many years to come.
07/13/2026