9/30/2007 - Jamestown Native Adam Bratton Takes Over For Rolland Kidder

By Patrick Fanelli, pfanelli@post-journal.com



Adam Bratton, a Jamestown native with more than 10 years of experience working with non-profit organizations, will follow in his father’s footsteps by serving as the Robert H. Jackson Center’s executive director. 

Currently working as assistant public affairs director at Allegheny College, his alma matter, Bratton said he was drawn to the position in part because of its imposing mission — promoting the life and legacy of Robert H. Jackson, former U.S. attorney general, Supreme Court justice and chief U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials. Bratton also said that he was drawn to Jackson himself because of his start as something of a small-town lawyer in Jamestown before his rise to prominence, something Bratton believes mirrors the history of the Jackson Center with its reach both within the community and in the international arena. ‘‘It is an honor to be offered the opportunity to serve at the Jackson Center, and it feels great to be returning home,’’ said Bratton, who lives with his wife, Carissa, a Westfield native, and their two young children. ‘‘To help lead an institution of such great consequence is truly a privilege.’’ Bratton’s father, the late Daniel Bratton, served as the first Jackson Center executive director after working 16 years as president of the Chautauqua Institution. Though he only served for a short period of time, the elder Bratton is credited as an instrumental force in launching the center and linking it with both the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court Historical Society. ‘‘My father had been involved in the founding stages, the initial stages, so obviously I was aware of it and I kept track of it,’’ Bratton said. ‘‘The more I heard about the the center and the way it had grown ... drew me to it as a first-rate non-profit.’’ Rolland Kidder succeeded the elder Bratton and held the position for five years until announcing his retirement in October 2006. As the search process was underway, Donald Greenhouse, a management consultant and a member of the Chautauqua Institution board of trustees, served as interim executive director. In a news release issued Friday, the younger Bratton recognized the work of Kidder, who helped establish the Jackson Center as a premier historical and educational institute while it opened to the public and expanded through the early part of the decade. ‘‘I am humbled to succeed the talented leaders who served as executive director,’’ Bratton said. ‘‘As I embark on my duties, I would like to recognize Rolland Kidder, whose accomplishments during his five-year tenure set the stage for a bright future at the Jackson Center.’’ After graduating from Allegheny College with a political science degree and then from George Mason University with a masters degree in public administration, the younger Bratton went to work in Washington D.C. at a national non-profit organization, according to biographical information provided by the Jackson Center. Bratton said he worked for a group called the Public Employees Round Table, an advocacy group for government employees that later merged with the Council for Excellence in Government. He also said he worked with the private Independent Colleges Office, which strove to raise money for numerous colleges and universities. ‘‘We are very pleased Adam will be joining our team at the Jackson Center,’’ said Greg Peterson, board chairman. ‘‘Adam has the experience, drive and, most importantly, passion for our mission that we believe will take this organization into the future.’’ Peterson also said he thought Bratton’s service would compliment the foundation built by the elder Bratton as well as by others who were instrumental in its creation, such as philanthropists Betty Lenna and Carl Cappa and the Gebbie Foundation. Randy Sweeney, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation executive director and search committee chairman, said that Bratton was chosen because he has the skills needed for the job. ‘‘Adam’s appointment was the result of a lengthy and thoughtful search by the Jackson Center’s search committee,’’ Sweeney said. ‘‘We believe Adam’s non-profit management experience and specifically his skills in relation to fund-raising, programming and operations make this a terrific match.’’

The Post-Journal

Jamestown, New York

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Vol. 181, No. 100

Section A, Pages 1 and 6