Co-Founder / Emeritus Board Member
Along with friends and SFAI colleagues Mitch Temple and Dennis McNulty, Nathan’s care, compassion, and tenacity brought Root Division from an idea to an actuality in 2002. After passing the torch and relocating to Vermont in 2006, Nathan remained involved as an Emeritus Member of Root Division’s Board of Directors for almost two decades. When Nathan co-founded Root Division, a thriving art and education nonprofit in San Francisco, he learned that the power of an idea and the collective energy of motivated people can create a great and lasting impact on multiple communities. Nathan and the team at Root Division leveraged an inclusive philosophy and built a change engine that runs on shared resources and relatively small capital. This nimble organization remains a leader in a rapidly changing Bay Area, fiercely holding space and changing the career trajectories of hundreds of artists, year after year. Nathan was kind, passionate, and generous of spirit. He worked tirelessly to create a more socially just world–in the Bay Area, in his communities in Vermont, and far beyond. Nathan was a talented artist in his own right, an unrelenting advocate for other artists, and a devoted supporter of social justice causes–not only in words, but in devoted on-the-ground actions. Nathan co-founded BUILD in 2016. BUILD consults with businesses, organizations, and the public sector on strategy, leadership, culture, and change. We design and facilitate initiatives for our clients that qualitatively impact their current and future direction. As Executive Director of Helen Day Art Center, a leading contemporary art organization in Vermont, he doubled the program offerings, engaged the next three generations of constituents, and advanced the stature of the community as a cultural destination. Strong relationships, strategic delegation, and board management all contributed to these successes. Nathan was also Treasurer of the board at Peace & Justice Center in Burlington, Vermont where he was a board member since 2011. In 2020 he joined the support board of Migrant Justice, also based in Vermont. Adversity for businesses and organizations are opportunities in disguise. Nathan’s experiences of resource scarcity, community driven progress, and advocating for social justice & equity informed his entrepreneurial approach to change moments. Root Division’s staff, board, and community of artists whose lives he touched, mourn his loss. To donate to Root Division in Nathan's honor, please visit https://rootdivision.org/civicrm/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=127