Press Release

Tucson, AZ — The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ashley La Russa as its new Chief Advancement Officer, a strategic leadership hire that signals the Museum’s continued momentum and investment in building a strong, future-focused executive team.

“I’m honored to step into the role of Chief Advancement Officer at the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block,” said La Russa. “Art has the power to connect us, challenge us, and tell the stories of our community, and I’m excited to help advance a museum that so beautifully reflects the creativity, history, and diversity of Tucson.”

TMA leadership emphasized the importance of the role as the Museum advances its long-term vision and institutional growth.

“I am thrilled that Ashley is joining the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block,” said Anne Breckenridge Barrett, Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO. “She brings strategic leadership that strengthens our executive team and critical expertise that advances TMA’s vision to be a community-focused and globally relevant institution. By aligning earned revenue with philanthropic strategy, Ashley will help fuel TMA’s mission and sustainable growth.”

Ashley La Russa is an arts, culture, and community leader whose career sits at the intersection of creative vision, earned revenue, and philanthropic growth. She is the founder of Roux Events, an event management and strategy firm dedicated to helping organizations and community leaders expand visibility, engagement, and financial sustainability – particularly those advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. She is also the creator of Blax Friday, the largest accessible directory and the only statewide app of Black-owned businesses in Arizona, demonstrating her ability to build platforms that attract broad audiences, corporate partners, and sustained community investment. Across her work, La Russa consistently translates mission into momentum and into measurable dollars.

Her leadership spans Tucson’s cultural and civic landscape. La Russa currently serves on the Local First Arizona Tucson Steering Committee, the Tucson Jazz Festival Board, and the Downtown Parade of Lights and Festival Board, where she has strengthened partnerships, sponsorships, and community trust.
La Russa’s impact has been widely recognized. In 2025, BizTucson Magazine named her one of the Women Leading the Region. She is also the recipient of the Transformation Award from the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona, the Economic Sustainability Gamechanger Award from NAACP Tucson, and the Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things Award from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management.

Central to La Russa’s role at TMA is her proven ability to drive fundraising, earned revenue, and donor engagement. As Board Liaison at the Arizona Theater Company, she refined her expertise in institutional fundraising, marketing strategy, and board relations. She also managed the historic Temple of Music and Art’s rental program, developing revenue-generating strategies that balanced mission, community access, and financial performance. In addition, La Russa led large-scale community programs and special events for the Downtown Tucson Partnership, collaborating with the City of Tucson, Pima County, and a wide range of public and private partners. Over her career, she has managed more than 500 events and raised millions of dollars collectively, building a deep network of donors, sponsors, artists, and civic leaders.

Ashley holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sam Houston State University and is a lifelong advocate for the arts. Her work champions the local creative and cultural organizations that make Tucson and Southern Arizona thrive. She brings to the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block a rare combination of cultural fluency, entrepreneurial drive, and fundraising acumen, positioning the museum to deepen donor confidence, expand community partnerships, and advance its next chapter.

La Russa begins her new role on January 13, 2026.

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Museum Hours:
Wednesday – Sunday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

About the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
As an institution built upon the original territories of the O’odham, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) acknowledges the Indigenous Sonoran Desert communities, past and present, who have stewarded this region throughout generations.

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) connects art to life through meaningful and engaging experiences that inspire discovery, spark creativity, and promote cultural understanding. TMA is committed to developing quality exhibitions, caring for its collection, providing arts education, presenting relevant and innovative programs, and broadening public access to the arts. As this institution enters its second century of serving communities of Southern Arizona and beyond, its varied collections, interpretative programs, and exhibitions exemplify the museum’s regionality by reflecting multiple perspectives, histories, and cultures as well as highlighting global influences and ideas.
TMA’s campus includes five historically significant buildings, an art education center and research library, the Museum Store, and the highly acclaimed museum restaurant Café a la C’Art.

TMA is a private 501(c)(3) charitable arts and education organization. For additional information visit TucsonMuseumofArt.org or call (520) 624-2333.

Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. 140 N Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701

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