Michael Marsicano

Marsicano received his Bachelor of Science, Masters of Education and Doctor of Philosophy from Duke University.[2] He served as Executive Director of the Durham Arts Council in Durham, North Carolina, from 1982-1989. In 1989, he left to oversee the Arts & Science Council in Charlotte. While at its head, the united arts fund became the nation’s highest in per capita annual giving, and the Arts & Science Council became one of the largest endowed arts councils in the United States.

In 1996, with Marsicano at head of ASC, controversy erupted around a Charlotte Repertory Theatre production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America.[3] Local evangelical leaders protested the themes of the play and the onstage nudity,[4] citing public funding via the Arts & Science Council as the core of its argument. Marsicano stood by ASC’s decision to fund, and the Mecklenburg County Commission responded by removing $2.5 million in funding to ASC.[5] After four of the five commissioners who voted to strip the Arts and Science Council of its resources lost their seats in the next election, funds were restored and increased.[1]

In 1999, Marsicano was tapped to lead Foundation For The Carolinas, only the third head of the organization in its 60 years.[2] During his tenure, FFTC has grown from assets of $240 million[2] to more than $2.5 billion,[6] and from the 35th[1] largest community foundation in America to sixth[7] largest. Marsicano has helped raise more than $3.5 billion[1] in philanthropic gifts for cultural, educational and social-economic initiatives in the Mecklenburg County region. He serves on the boards of Duke University, Duke University Health System, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte Center City Partners. Marsicano has chaired the boards of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (now Americans for the Arts) and guest panels at the National Endowment for the Arts.

Marsicano received the Vision Award from Charlotte Center City Partners[8] in 2016, the Arc of Triumph Award from Johnson C. Smith University in 2011, the distinguished service award from the University of North Carolina – Charlotte in 2010, was named Innovator of the Year in 2008 by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce[9] and won the Philanthropy[10] Campeon Award in 2005 from the Latin American Coalition. In 2018, Marsicano was named to the NonProfit Times’ 21st -annual Power and[11] Influence Top 50 List, highlighting the nation’s top philanthropic leaders.

Michael is married to Leslie Marsicano,[12] the Director of the Preyer Scholars Program at Queens University of Charlotte. They have three children: Christopher R. Marsicano, an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Higher Education and Director of the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College; Jamie Marsicano, a community organizer and activist in Charlotte; and David Marsicano, a musician based in Memphis, Tennessee.