Jillian Jones

Jillian Jones is the Director of Advancement at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. In this role, Jones serves on the museum’s Leadership Team, manages the day-to-day operations of the ten-person Advancement team, and shares leadership responsibilities with the Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director and Board President for the museum’s $230 million capital campaign, the largest such campaign for a cultural institution in the history of Western New York.

As the Buffalo AKG’s chief fundraising officer, Jones works with leadership donors, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and public sector representatives, to ensure that the museum’s operations are adequately and sustainably funded. She also plays a key role in a wide array of operational areas, including the construction of the Buffalo AKG and the conceptualization of several components of visitor interface.

Prior to joining the Buffalo AKG, Jones served as Manager of Major Gifts and, later, Manager of Individual Giving at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She began her professional career at the George Washington University School of Business, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, as Development Associate, Assistant Director of Development, and finally Associate Director of Development.

Jones received her MA in Museum Studies with a concentration in Public Administration from George Washington University. In 2021, Jones was named one of Buffalo Business First’s 40 under 40. She has received a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and is a member of the Art Museum Development Association, the Western New York Planned Giving Association, and the Western New York Women’s Foundation.