AMHERST —Amherst resident Claudia Pazmany, who served five years as executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, is being tabbed as the first head of The Drake live performance and music venue.
The Downtown Amherst Foundation announced Monday that Pazmany will be executive director for the site at 44 North Pleasant St. starting on June 1.
“As I step into this new role, I bring that same commitment to community, belonging and bold, collaborative growth,” Pazmany said in a statement. “I’m excited to help expand the reach of the arts across our communities, deepen access, widen participation, and help shape the next chapter of The Drake’s impact in Amherst.”
Over the winter, the foundation announced a $250,000 gift to allow The Drake, which opened in April 2022, to hire and endow a director position for the first time. Since being created, volunteers on the board of directors have managed the finances and development.
“Bringing Claudia onto this team feels like the most natural next step,” Gabrielle Gould, president of the Downtown Amherst Foundation’s board of directors, said in a statement. “I truly can’t imagine a better person to join us at this moment in our growth.”
Pazmany oversaw the chamber from 2019 to 2024 and most recently served as chief development officer for Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield, helping advance fundraising, partnerships and new initiatives there.
“My time at Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services has been profoundly shaping,” Pazmany said. “I’m proud of what we built together, from launching inaugural events and statewide collaborations to strengthening partnerships and laying the groundwork for sustainable fundraising. I remain dedicated to advancing its mission as a volunteer.”
The Downtown Amherst Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 organization dedicated to strengthening downtown Amherst through arts, culture, community partnership and place-based initiatives and ensuring a thriving, beautiful and diverse cultural college community. It has collaborations with Amherst College’s Music Department and faculty, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Fine Arts Center and Music Department, and Amherst Regional Public Schools Performing Arts programs.
