b'3SUMMER 2019They depend on our Foundations staffInvesting in Extra Expertiseand Board to be thoughtful and responsibleThe Pittsburgh Foundations Senior Vice President of Finance and stewards of their philanthropy, always respect- Investments Jonathan Brelsford, Investment Manager Jay Donato and ing their intentions.Senior Investment Analyst Bradley Jones have been certified as Chartered It is an honor to be here, and I am workingAlternative Investment Analysts by the national association. Brelsford says to understand all the Foundation portals thatits important to stay up to date and be in tune with alternative investments, donors choose to improve the lives of residentsmeaning assets that dont fall into conventional categories such as stocks across our region. The package of stories in thisand bonds. Jones, a board member of the local chapter of the Chartered issue only hints at the breathtaking variety:Financial Analyst Society, suggested certification after learning there was a scholarships that promote the best attributesnew program allowing CFA charter holders to take an acceleratedpath. of a loved one or of a profession in the futureDonato says the process filled gaps in the teams knowledge base and it development of others; field-of-interest grantsreinforced what they already know. And, the designation demonstrates to designated for specific areas of philanthropyour donors that we have a higher level of expertise.such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education; awards programs providing individual support for artists.Art Prize battles gender None of this breadth and depth wouldand genrediscriminationbe possible without the exceptional people in every section of the Foundation who commitThree years after The Bennett Fund was endowed at The Pittsburgh Foundation to best-practice standards, listen to the peopleby Steven Bennett and Elaine Melotti Schmidt, the inaugural Bennett Prize we serve and care deeply about results. As anfor Women Figurative Realist Painters was awarded May 2 to Tampa-based example, I invite you to read about the efforts ofartist Aneka Ingold. The awards ceremony took place at Muskegon Museum of Art, where an exhibition of the work of The Bennett Prize finalists and awardee our Investment Management team, opposite, toopened to a packed house of people who had traveled from across the country achieve the Chartered Alternative Investmentto witness the announcement. Analyst Association (CAIA) certification to gain expertise in investments that fall outside theThe Prize, which will be awarded every two years in perpetuity to a woman traditional modes.painter, was co-created by the Bennetts through the Foundations Center for It is hardly surprising that such aPhilanthropy. The Prize gives women artists the recognition they deserve while raising the profile of figurative realism.competent and dedicated staff was in place when I arrived. It is one of the many legaciesIngold was selected by a jury who reviewed an astounding 647 entries and that Max King leaves to this Foundation fromthen narrowed the field to 10 finalists, all of whom were there when Ingold was his five years as president. announced as the winner. In my remarks at the May 22 receptionAn adjunct professor of drawing, design instructor and mother of two, Ingold marking Maxs inspiring leadership and myincorporates symbolic and scientific imagery into her paintings, which explore arrival, I referred to some wise advice he gavewomens experiences across history and culture. Speaking at the opening me in my time at Riverlife: to be successful, actceremony, Ingold says that winning The Bennett Prize was a surreal and extra-boldly and invest accordingly. I pledge to followordinary experience. Just like many of my paintings, this feels like adream.that in my work. As to the where and how, I willThe Prize, the largest of its kind exclusively for women figurative realist painters, be grateful for advice, and I hope to hear fromawards $50,000 over two years so that the winner can dedicate herself to her you. I am sure that in working together, we willart. The Prize also includes a solo exhibition that, like the exhibition now on view follow Pittsburgh history. We will invent andat Muskegon Museum of Art, will travel the country. create things that we cannot yet imagine. Speaking just moments after being named the winner, Ingold expressed her appreciation for the Bennetts and the precedent the award sets for supporting and appreciating women artists. Women in general and women artists have really important stories to tell. I am Lisa Schroeder so honored to receive this award and be among so many talented and amazing president & CEO women. This is going to change my life.'