Jill Marie Paulsen serves as executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC), our region’s largest arts funder. She’s led the public agency since 2018.
In her 12 years at CAC, Jill has overseen $145M in grantmaking to more than 400 organizations and helped drive actions to make the agency and its grantmaking more equitable. In recognition, CAC was awarded Philanthropy Ohio’s 2022 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in Philanthropy Award.
Jill’s commitment to working for justice and social change is informed by previous advocacy roles in HIV/AIDS in her home state of Minnesota, as well as positions at the Cleveland and George Gund foundations. She is appointed to the Cuyahoga County Monuments Commission and serves on the boards of The Center for Community Solutions and the AIDS Funding Collaborative.
Jill’s leadership has been recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in 2023 as a member of its Power 150 list and in 2021 as a Women of Note honoree. Jill is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University (MNO) and Grinnell College (French, sociology). She is a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2017. Jill and her family live in Downtown Cleveland.
You can reach Jill at 216.306.0113 or jpaulsen@cacgrants.org.