Irish Arts Center in New York City announces new Board leadership

The Irish Arts Center (IAC) in New York City announced a succession of Board leadership on Tuesday, November 12.

Michael “Gerry” Boyle has been elected Board Chair and Robert J. “Bob” McCann has been elected to the new role of Board President, the IAC said on Tuesday.

Additionally, Kristine Covillo Lynch has been elected as Board Secretary and John Martin has been elected as Treasurer. Together, they are taking over the positions previously held by Secretary-Treasurer Shane Naughton.

The new Board leadership comes upon the completion of Board Chair Shaun Kelly's five-year tenure during which the Irish Arts Center completed and opened a $60 million landmark new facility amid a global pandemic.

New Board Chair Gerry Boyle, the Founder and CEO of Commodore Construction, was first elected to the Board in 2006 and previously served as Chair from 2016 to 2019. He has helmed the Center’s capital steering committee since 2019.

Boyle said: “I’m honored to return to the role of Chair at Irish Arts Center at this exciting time in our history, as we complete the third full year in our new home and prepare for the next phase of our capital plan—the redevelopment of our original 51st Street home.

"I look forward to working in partnership with Bob McCann and the other officers and board members to make that a reality.”

Gerry Boyle.

New Board President Bob McCann is the Co-Chairman of NewEdge Capital Group and former Chairman of UBS Americas. After being honored alongside musician Martin Hayes and special guest Sting at the IAC's 2014 Spirit of Ireland Gala, McCann joined the Board and Executive Committee in 2017 and has served as a three-time Gala Chair.

McCann said: “I believe the new Irish Arts Center is the most important development in Irish America of the last 50 years, and Shaun Kelly has been at the center of every significant accomplishment we have enjoyed over the last decade.

"I am honored to be working with Gerry and the entire Board as we build on this era and ensure our success for future generations.”

Bob McCann.

Meanwhile, Kristine Covillo Lynch, the IAC's new Board Secretary, is a veteran Broadway dancer who has served on the Board since 2016 and also serves as Chair of Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre.

Kristine Covillo Lynch.

The IAC's new Treasurer John Martin, co-founder and Executive Vice President and General Counsel of All New York Title Insurance Group, has served on the Board since 2010, playing a critical role in IAC’s land acquisition strategies.

John Martin.

The IAC notes that outgoing Board Chair Shaun Kelly and outgoing Secretary-Treasurer Shane Naughton will be remaining on the Board.

Prior to his election as Chair, Kelly, a longtime executive at KPMG, served as Secretary-Treasurer and Chair of IAC’s then Audit and Finance Committee from 2014 to 2019.

Kelly said: “The new Irish Arts Center is something we can all be truly proud of, and I am grateful to Aidan and our team and all my fellow Board members for their support throughout this transformative decade for the organization. I look forward to continuing my service as a Board member, patron, and audience member in the years ahead.”

Shaun Kelly.

Naughton, a technology entrepreneur and co-founder of TaxStream, which was acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2008, has served on the IAC Board since 2011, and as Secretary-Treasurer and Chair of the Audit Committee since 2020.

Aidan Connolly, IAC Executive Director, said: “We are delighted to announce this Board leadership succession, with enormous gratitude for the tenure of Shaun Kelly, whose wisdom and diligence has shepherded the Board through the thrillingly transformative and profoundly challenging era of developing and completing the new Irish Arts Center.” 

The Board succession announcement occurs as Irish Arts Center prepares to celebrate its 25th Annual Spirit of Ireland Gala, honoring both Shaun Kelly and the iconic actress Meryl Streep, who will each receive the Center’s Spirit of Ireland Award.

The Center has completed its third full year of operation in its landmark “four-story, 21,700-square-foot building…as big as its aspirations,” with more than 600 artists and 50,000 audiences to date fueling experiences such as the current acclaimed production of "Hothouse," lauded by The New York Times as “A lament for the present and an elegy for the past that keeps alight a flame of hope for the future," and further evidence of IAC’s “smart programming at a time when New York is somewhat starved for contemporary European work.”

You can learn more about the Irish Arts Center on its website.