Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC) added two new members to their Board of Directors, expanding its reach into the Cincinnati arts and athletics communities. The new board members include Sydney Fine, Senior Director of Impact at ArtWorks, and Alexandra Simons, Director of Community Engagement at the Cincinnati Bengals. Both are long-time allies and friends of ABC who regularly collaborate on efforts to increase access to extracurricular activities for Cincinnati-area students.
As part of ABC’s strategic planning process, the organization conducted an analysis of the board. “We have an exceptional board, and we are always attentive to bringing new perspectives to the table representing all the programs we have across ABC,” shared Dick Friedman, President of ABC’s Board. “Sydney [Fine] will bring a wealth of knowledge about the Cincinnati arts scene, just as Alex [Simons] will on Cincinnati athletics. As we grow our arts programs and broaden our athletics initiatives, their perspectives will be critical.”
Sydney Fine spent the beginnings of her career as a camp counselor and teacher with Teach for America before she pivoted to the youth development non-profit sector. Beyond education, her background includes fundraising and creating workforce development programming for teens and young adults. “Ensuring that youth have access to extra-curricular enrichment opportunities has been my number one passion for the past decade,” Fine shared. “I’m thrilled to be a part of an organization that does this so effectively and is committed to expanding access to the arts.”
Sydney serves at ArtWorks as Senior Director of Impact, where she leads the strategic direction, management, and evaluation of ArtWorks’ you and artist programs, public art outcomes, and community engagement initiatives. She also serves as a board member of ish, an organization exploring Jewish cultural traditions through the arts.
The 2022 NFL season marks Alex Simon’s 13th season with the Bengals. She spent her first five seasons responsible for Paycor Stadium’s 150+ private events. In 2015 she moved to the corporate partnerships team where her understanding of the business side of sports started to take shape. In 2018 she began leading the Bengals Community Engagement efforts.
Prior to joining the Bengals, Alex spent four years in marketing and communications. Alex is an integral supporter of ABC, helping with major projects including the AAA Pathway and the rebuilding of the South Avondale Elementary field. “The positive impact sports have on young people is invaluable and I am excited for the opportunity to help ABC continue its mission of ensuring young people have access to sports and extracurriculars that will equip them with key life skills that are the building blocks to success on and off the field,” Alex said.
