Baptist Health South Florida recently named William Banchs CEO of the Baptist Health South Florida Foundation.
In his new role, Banchs will run the daily operation and oversee all fundraising and activities for Baptist Health South Florida Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to provide volunteer leadership and philanthropic support to improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities served by Baptist Health.
“Bill’s broad experience in fundraising in various sectors will be instrumental to Baptist Health South Florida Foundation, as we continue to expand our brand awareness locally and nationally,” said George Foyo, chief administrative officer for Baptist Health South Florida.
Banchs most recently served as president and CEO of the Scottsdale Cultural Council (SCC) in Scottsdale, AZ from 2008 through August 2013. The SCC is the largest non-profit cultural organization in Arizona, serving over 350,000 patrons. While there, he restructured the organization to implement a significant reduction of operating costs while maintaining the highest level of services for its patrons and achieving in 2013 one of the highest revenue years in the organization’s history.
Prior to his tenure at the SCC, Banchs was the president of the Miami-based National YoungArts Foundation, formerly National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA). He joined the NFAA, an organization devoted to supporting and nurturing the careers of young artists, in 1986 as director of program development and served in a number of leadership positions before assuming the presidency in 1991.
In addition, Banchs founded the Miami School of Musical Arts in 1980 and served as its director for nine years. He also taught music theory at the University of Miami and served as festival coordinator for the University’s Festival of Miami in 1985, an 18-day-long event featuring 32 classical and jazz concerts and other programs.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Bill’s caliber join our team,” said William Wilson III, Baptist Health South Florida Foundation chair. “We look forward to the growth of the Foundation and its impact on our mission.”
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Banchs attended Harvard University, where he earned a BA in chemistry and physics and his MA and PhD in music composition and theory. He also was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2004.
Baptist Health South Florida Foundation is the fundraising arm of Baptist Health South Florida. The Foundation supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health. For more information, visit www.BaptistHealth.net.
