Chief Philanthropy Officer

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts (POEA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kobie Smith as the next chief philanthropy officer, effective November 3, 2025. Reporting to Ryan Fleur, president and CEO, Smith will lead fundraising strategy, execution, and campaign management for POEA, working with leadership and the Board of Trustees to strengthen and expand philanthropic support through major gifts, membership, and donor engagement. He will also guide and mentor the development team, foster a culture of collaboration and high performance, and help shape the organization’s long-term vision as a member of executive leadership. 

Smith brings nearly 20 years of philanthropy, fundraising, relationship management, and leadership experience to POEA. He joins from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), where he most recently served as executive director of development. At Penn, Smith was instrumental in the Power of Penn campaign, raising $111 million for medical student scholarships, program enhancements, and a new medical education building. He also helped launch the first endowed scholarship funds for degrees in Bioethics, Combined MD/MBA (Wharton), Genetic Counseling, and Public Health. From 2020 to 2022, he also led Penn Medicine’s efforts to raise $21 million for health equity, access, and educational pipeline initiatives. 

A member of Penn Medicine’s chief advancement officer’s executive leadership team since 2020, Smith also began his career in development at the University of Cincinnati and later advanced fundraising at The Christ Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nationally, he has held leadership volunteer roles with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). A trained opera singer and current Orchestra and Ensemble Arts patron, Smith holds a bachelor of music in vocal performance from the University of Alabama, a master of arts in arts administration from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a doctor of education in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. 

Jack Gorman led this search with Nicole Poe and Lisa Clayton.