Organization: Cityfolk
Contact: search@cityfolk.org
Job Location: Dayton, OH
Posting Date: July 5, 2010
Cityfolk welcomes applications and
nominations for the position of Executive Director to
lead the Organization’s future growth and development.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The next Executive Director of Cityfolk
will take the helm of an organization with a reputation
for superior artistry, fiscal responsibility, and community
engagement. Cityfolk aspires to be a model for innovative
organizations in the 21st century, and places special
emphasis on community building and programming that
appeals to a wide variety of audiences in Southwest
Ohio.
The mission of Cityfolk is "to share
diverse artistic traditions from across America and
around the world with the communities of Southwest Ohio."
It accomplishes this by presenting the best in ethnic
and traditional arts, celebrating diverse cultures and
promoting cross-cultural understanding, building partnerships
and collaboration, and educating persons of all ages.
Specifically Cityfolk does this by presenting concerts
and a festival, collaborating with other organizations,
and serving as a catalyst in community building through
its Culture Builds Community (CBC) residency program.
The Executive Director will perform
traditional management functions, and will be chief
fund raiser for the organization. He or she will also
work closely with the artistic director to assure that
programming efforts are consistent with the mission
of the organization.
The Executive Director will become
part of a vibrant community with a reasonable cost of
living. The Dayton Region is a metro area with over
one million people. The City of Dayton, itself, is home
to many diverse neighborhoods, including historic districts,
and is surrounded by numerous communities and suburbs
with their own strengths and attributes. Major arts
and cultural organizations in Dayton include Cityfolk,
the Dayton Opera, the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Art
Institute, the Victoria Theatre Association, the Dayton
Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company,
and the Human Race Theatre Company. Dayton ranks #1
in arts and culture among mid-size US cities (Cities
Ranked & Rated, 2007). The Region is home to many colleges
and universities, including the Wright State University,
the University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College,
Clark State, Edison State, Antioch College, Wittenberg
University, Central State University, Wilberforce University
and the Air Force Institute of Technology. Dayton is
also home to the Dayton Dragons minor league Baseball
team. Dayton's 60-minute market includes Columbus and
Cincinnati.
THE
ORGANIZATION
It started in 1980 with a vision and a love for the
arts and diversity. From there, Cityfolk has turned
into Ohio's only full-time, professional presenter of
traditional and ethnic performing arts.
The original, all-volunteer staff
coordinated an Irish music concert, Greek dance workshop,
Appalachian square dance, African drumming and dance
workshop and the creation of a mural in a neighborhood
park. The grassroots effort attempted to bring together
the cauldron of cultures that call Dayton home to showcase
diversity in the arts.
The combination worked, and the organizers
realized that the success of the first year pointed
to an important need existing in the community--the
need for the arts and creative expression of all of
Dayton's ethnic and cultural groups to be displayed
in a professional manner.
Since that time, Cityfolk has presented
national and international artists in its Celtic series,
jazz series, American roots series, world music series
and its summer festival. The 2009-2010 season included
12 performances and a monthly contra dance. A large
component of Cityfolk’s programming is a summer
festival. Since 1996, when the organization was host
to the National Folk Festival, Cityfolk has continued
to offer a free 3-day festival. Revenue (sponsorships,
donations, vendor fees, and beverage sales) from the
festival supports Cityfolk’s year-round activities
and is considered to not only be a program but also
a fundraiser. For education and outreach, Cityfolk has
had a long tradition of offering residencies (most notably
focused on jazz) using visiting artists in local schools.
Most recently, through its Culture Builds Community
program, Cityfolk has taken the residency concept to
neighborhoods and is partnering with Dayton’s
Neighborhood School Centers to offer residencies not
only to students in schools in certain neighborhoods
but also to neighborhood residents. This model has worked
well to build bridges and increase understanding of
the many cultures that make up Dayton’s neighborhoods.
CBC is supported by grants and enjoys strong partnerships
with the Dayton Public Schools, University of Dayton,
and Wright State University.
For its accomplishments Cityfolk has
been recognized on the state and national level. Cityfolk
was the recipient of the 2009 Ohio Governors Award for
the Arts (for Community Development and Participation),
the first-ever recipient of Chamber Music America’s
CMAcclaim Award, and was one of twelve organizations
to participate in the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's
JazzNet program.
As a presenter, Cityfolk does
not own a venue. It enjoys a solid relationship with
the Victoria Theatre, the Dayton Art Institute, the
Masonic Temple, the University of Dayton and some local
nightspots that present live bands. The Cityfolk Festival
is staged in Downtown Dayton in conjunction with RiverScape
Metropark. The opportunity exists for the organization
to expand its presence and programming into other cities,
such as Cincinnati, and beyond.
Cityfolk receives generous underwriting
and sponsorship for concerts and concert series, and
for the festival, from corporations and local foundations.
Individual donors/members are also strong supporters
of the organization. Additionally Cityfolk has received
support from the NEA, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities
Council, Montgomery County, Culture Works (united arts
fund), the City of Dayton, The Dayton Foundation and
the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Fundraising in
Dayton is in a transition as a result of organizations
receiving less large corporate support and needing to
pursue small to mid-size firms, more individual membership
and creative funding for special events like the festival.
Cityfolk is already pursuing these strategies.
The operating budget of Cityfolk
fluctuates between $800,000 - $950,000. In recent years
the organization has tightened its belt and gotten much
leaner while continuing to offer high caliber programs.
Subscriptions have seen a decline while individual ticket
sales vary by show. Fundraising, as noted above, is
a challenge even though the organization enjoys broad
community support.
Cityfolk’s Board of Trustees
presently includes 17 members. Additional support is
provided by non-trustees serving on various committees
and a team of volunteers serving as Directors of the
Cityfolk Festival. The organization has a staff of 5
full-time employees and has three part-time consultants
serving in accounting, communications, and festival
capacities.
THE
POSITION
The Executive Director is the chief
executive officer of Cityfolk, responsible and accountable
for the organizational and financial success of the
organization. S/he provides leadership and vision to
ensure that Cityfolk fulfills its mission, and achieves
its institutional goals for excellence, innovation,
and service to the community. The Executive Director
works closely with the artistic director to assure that
concerts, residencies and other programs fulfill the
mission of the organization.
The Executive Director represents Cityfolk
throughout the community. S/he is a visible and articulate
spokesperson for the Organization and ensures that Cityfolk
maintains positive and productive relationships with
Dayton’s philanthropic community; arts, education
and cultural institutions; government; business community;
and other community organizations. S/he leads the organization’s
fundraising efforts. S/he is an advocate for Cityfolk
with the national and international music community,
actively seeking opportunities to expand the reach and
enhance the reputation of the Organization.
The Executive Director manages the
human and financial resources of Cityfolk. S/he is responsible
and accountable, with staff, Board and volunteer support
for all aspects of administration, including planning,
budgeting and financial management; fund raising; marketing,
public relations and audience development; concert production
and operations; educational activities; and community
engagement.
The Executive Director provides impetus
and support to the work of the Board and its committees.
S/he engages, supervises, motivates and leads a high
caliber administrative team. S/he provides guidance
and support to the efforts of those who volunteer for
the Organization.
CANDIDATE
PROFILE
The ideal candidate will be an experienced
organization executive with proven leadership ability,
excellent management skills, entrepreneurial instincts,
and a track record for success with fundraising, audience
development, and community engagement. S/he will have
a thorough understanding of the challenges facing presenting
organizations today and the ability to address these
challenges effectively.
The successful candidate will be fully
knowledgeable about presenting organizations. S/he will
have the demonstrated ability to work effectively with
staff, professional musicians/artists, other creative
artists, Board, and volunteers. Additional work experience
beyond the organization field will be viewed as an asset.
The successful candidate will be an
enthusiastic fundraiser with the demonstrated ability
to compete successfully for philanthropic support and
the willingness to devote substantial time and effort
to fundraising. S/he will have superb oral and written
communication ability and interpersonal skills.
The successful candidate will understand
strategic marketing. S/he will have the demonstrated
ability to build customer loyalty, develop brand awareness,
and increase audience size, diversity, and demand.
The successful candidate will be a
person of integrity and high ethical standards with
a reputation for fairness and transparency. S/he will
have a love for music and an appreciation for the genres
presented by Cityfolk. The successful candidate will
fully embrace the mission, goals, and core values of
Cityfolk. S/he will welcome the opportunity lead a new
era in the growth and development of Cityfolk.
Compensation, including benefits, is
competitive and commensurate with qualifications and
experience.
APPLICATIONS
AND NOMINATIONS
Applicants should submit a cover letter
that describes both qualifications and specific interest
in Cityfolk along with a professional resume. The Search
Committee may request additional information, including
salary history and references, at a later date. All
applications will be treated as confidential.
Nominations of potential candidates are welcome. Please
provide contact information.
Application Deadline: July 30, 2010
Electronic submissions are preferred.
Please send to: search@cityfolk.org
MS Word or Adobe Acrobat attachments only, please.
If necessary, correspondence can be
sent to:
Cityfolk Search
126 N. Main Street, Suite 220
Dayton, OH 45402
|
