John Schaller

A member of Shea’s Senior Management Team since 2013, John Schaller is an executive-level award winner with impressive and quantifiable successes in fundraising, marketing, organizational advancement, and donor development. A strategic thinker currently administering Shea’s Donor Development Programs, John overseas all fundraising initiatives including the Annual Fund, Major Gifts, Sponsorships, Grants, Encore Events, Planned Giving, and more. Prior to joining Shea’s Performing Arts Center, John served as Vice President of Direct Marketing for M&T Bank. Before moving back to Buffalo, the majority of John’s experience was obtained while serving as Executive Vice President of The Lukens Company, a direct response marketing and fundraising agency in Arlington, Virginia. From marketing strategy and multi-channel fundraising to communications and relationship building, John was charged with guiding the strategic and operational plans of the entire company. But some of his proudest moments came managing campaigns responsible for raising over $100 million for organizations such as the Martin Luther King, Jr National Memorial, the National September 11th Memorial and Museum, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and more than a dozen Performing Arts Centers across the country. John earned his Master of Arts from Washington DC’s American University, following a Bachelor of Arts from Canisius College. A member of the American Association of Fundraising Professionals, he has also served on the Board of the Theatre District Association of WNY and as Chairman of Curtain Up! Buffalo. A recent graduate of the Leadership Buffalo Class of 2017, John is committed to playing his part in the resurgence happening all across Western New York.