(In Memoriam)
- Dean and Professor of Arts Management, College of Visual and Performing Arts, George Mason University
- Advisory Role: Performing Arts; Education
The late Dean William F. Reeder enjoyed a 40+ -year career in education, management, philanthropic administration and the arts. As Dean of the George Mason University College of Visual and Performing Arts, he oversaw the departments of Music, Dance, Film, Theatre, Arts and Visual Technology and Arts Management, and served as general manager of the Center for the Arts, a regional performing arts facility at George Mason University. Dean Reeder taught arts management to both graduate and undergraduate populations.
Before joining George Mason, Dean Reeder was Vice President and General Manager of the Washington Performing Arts Society, the major presenter at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For two years prior, he was with the Sallie Mae Corporation, for which he established the Sallie Mae Trust for Education. At Sallie Mae, Dean Reeder was responsible for the company’s corporate giving programs and volunteer management in five cities in Virginia, Washington D.C., Florida, Pennsylvania and Kansas.
From 1993 to 1997, Dean Reeder was Executive Director of the Levine School of Music, in Washington D. C. He served as President of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts; President of The Saint Louis Conservatory of Music; Executive Director of Opera Music Theatre International and the Newark Community School of the Arts. In addition, he was on the faculty and administration of Indiana University, Bloomington and Illinois State University. For eight years, Bill Reeder was a leading operatic tenor engaged by the Zurich, Switzerland Opera Company. As a professional singer, he performed over 40 leading tenor roles in fifteen major opera houses throughout Europe.
Recognized for his strategic planning, management and fundraising technical skills, Dean Reeder appeared in two training films produced by the National Center for Nonprofit Boards. He conducted fundraising drives that raised more the $150 million for arts and educations throughout his career. He has served on numerous non-profit boards of directors and State Arts and Humanities agencies, and was a frequent clinician on leadership, fundraising and strategic planning.
William Reeder passed away in April 2025.