Morris Manning & Martin partner John Yates has been named to lead The Woodruff Arts Center's fundraising efforts.

As the development committee's board chairman, Yates will oversee the overall fundraising efforts for the Woodruff, one of the nation's largest arts centers, and its partners — the Alliance Theatre, the High Museum of Art and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra — during a challenging time for arts organizations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"I can't imagine anyone more well-respected than John Yates to lead this effort, especially given the challenges facing the arts in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a powerhouse in fundraising who is ideal to help us strategize, pursue our goals and rebuild," said the Woodruff's president and CEO, Doug Shipman, in a statement.

The Woodruff hosts more than 800,000 visitors annually and is the largest arts educator in Georgia. It reported fiscal 2019 revenue of $110 million. It also named Doug Hertz, chairman of United Distributors, as board chairman for the arts center.

Yates, who leads Morris Manning's corporate technology practice, is an experienced fundraiser, raising millions of dollars for nonprofits over the years. In 2018, he led the Woodruff's annual corporate campaign, which supports operating expenses, program funding and educational outreach, making sure it hit its $13 million target.

"While the Woodruff Arts Center is critically important to metro Atlanta and its economy, it receives a fraction of the public funding as other arts centers," Yates said in a statement. "We must do everything we can to support a vibrant arts community and continue to attract the new businesses, professionals and visitors we need to help the community thrive."

Yates has also chaired the capital campaign for Duke University Law School's Board of Visitors and co-chaired the Metro Atlanta YMCA's Y It Matters annual giving campaign.

Duke Law's alumni association has made Yates the recipient of its 2020 Charles S. Rhyne Award for Professional Achievement, which it makes annually for a graduate whose career exemplifies professionalism, integrity and commitment to education or community service.

Yates also serves on several nonprofit boards, including The Carter Center's Board of Councilors, the Metro Atlanta YMCA, the Atlanta Master Chorale's advisory council, Boston University's Tanglewood Institute advisory council and Furman University's board of trustees.

Morris Manning supports the Woodruff as a firm through the arts center's workplace giving program, Employees for the Arts. The firm has twice received the employee giving campaign's Needle Mover Award, for "moving the needle" with the largest increase in contributions over the previous year.