President and CEO, Grand Rapids Symphony
Grand Rapids Symphony
| The Grand Rapids Symphony invites applications and nominations for the position of President and CEO. Former Board Chair and dedicated community leader Peter Perez has served in this role since spring of 2017. He recently announced that he will step down at the end of 2018.
To request additional information about the Grand Rapids Symphony and the complete position specifications, please contact Christopher Wingert at cwingert@catherinefrenchgroup.com.
The Organization https://www.grsymphony.org
Now entering its 89th season, the Grand Rapids Symphony (GRS) is a highly acclaimed orchestra that presents more than 400 performances annually, reaching a diverse audience of more than 200,000 concertgoers from 14 West Michigan counties. Nearly half of those who attend are students, senior citizens, veterans, low-income community members, and people with disabilities who participate through Gateway to Music, an extensive matrix of education and access programs.
The GRS is a major source of civic pride throughout Michigan, and enjoys national recognition as well. On April 20, 2018, nearly a thousand enthusiastic GRS patrons accompanied the orchestra and Symphony Chorus to New York City for a concert at Carnegie Hall. The event drew a near-capacity audience and garnered widespread critical acclaim for the quality of the orchestra as well as the creative programming of Music Director Marcelo Lehninger.
The Grand Rapids Symphony is governed by a 50-member Board of Directors, has an administrative staff of 32, and a $10 million operating budget. Marcelo Lehninger has just completed his second season as Music Director. The Orchestra, with 80 professional musicians, has recently been welcomed as the newest member of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM).
The City
Located 178 miles northeast of Chicago and 170 miles northwest of Detroit, Grand Rapids is Michigan’s second-largest city, with a metropolitan population of 1.3 million. In recent years, Grand Rapids has been listed by Forbes among the top “15 US Cities’ Emerging Downtowns” and named “Best City for Raising a Family.” Grand Rapids is a national leader in civic-minded philanthropy, widely recognized for strong not-for-profit organizations and public-private partnerships that improve overall quality of life. Generous community support makes Grand Rapids a vibrant and exciting city with a low cost of living, affordable housing, quality educational opportunities, and short commutes.
The Opportunity
The President will take the helm of a flagship organization in a community that values and invests generously in its arts and cultural organizations. As the Orchestra prepared to celebrate its 90th Anniversary season, the President will have the opportunity to work with a Board that provides superb leadership and stewardship; a highly skilled and experienced staff; and an orchestra that is fully vested in the GRS’s artistic and organizational success. Together they will define the future role of the Grand Rapids Symphony as a leading professional orchestra that embraces a broadly diverse cultural community; provides exceptional concerts, educational programming, and community engagement activities; and serves as ambassador for Grand Rapids both nationally and internationally.
The Position
The President is the chief executive officer of the Grand Rapids Symphony and reports to the Board through its Chair. S/he is responsible and accountable for all aspects of the Orchestra’s operations. Through excellent leadership, organizational communication, planning, and management of resources, the President ensures that the Orchestra realizes its vision, fulfills its mission, and achieves its goals for artistic success, audience development, financial sustainability, and effective engagement of the region’s broad and diverse community. The President is a fully engaged partner with the Music Director. S/he is an active participant in the life of the Grand Rapids community and a passionate advocate for the value and importance of the GRS throughout the state of Michigan and beyond.
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Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will be a collaborative organizational leader with the demonstrated ability to set the long-term artistic, financial, and organizational direction of the Grand Rapids Symphony. S/he will have the ability to motivate and inspire internal and external constituencies in active collaborative pursuit of the organization’s vision. The successful candidate will have the proven ability to attract culturally diverse and exceptionally talented volunteers and professionals as Board members, staff, collaborators, and community partners.
The successful candidate will have the ability to think and act strategically across all phases of the GRS operation. S/he will be able to instill an inclusive organizational culture that places a high priority on planning, executing according to plan, and measuring/reporting on results and appropriate course corrections. S/he will be able to manage change and embrace innovation.
The successful candidate will combine a passion for music with a highly developed knowledge of symphony orchestras and the demonstrated ability to work effectively with creative artists to achieve artistic goals. S/he will have the ability to achieve contributed income goals, build customer loyalty, and lead efforts to increase audience size, diversity, and demand. S/he will have a proven record of sound financial management and positive results. The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. S/he will be a person of the highest integrity and ethical standards.
Compensation
Compensation, including benefits, is competitive and commensurate with qualifications.
Applications
The Grand Rapids Symphony is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity in all facets of the organization. The Search Committee seeks to develop a diverse candidate pool and welcomes nominations and applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or national origin.
Potential candidates are invited to request additional information about the position and the Grand Rapids Symphony by contacting Christopher Wingert at cwingert@catherinefrenchgroup.com.
Applicants are asked to prepare a cover letter that describes your specific interest in the Grand Rapids Symphony and outlines your qualifications for the position. Submit with a resume, salary requirements, and contact information for at least three professional references. Electronic submissions are requested. All applications will be treated as confidential and references will not be contacted without the candidate’s knowledge and agreement.
Please send materials to:
Grand Rapids Symphony – President and CEO c/o Catherine French Group 2500 Q Street NW, Suite 623 Washington, DC 20007 applications@catherinefrenchgroup.com
Please submit material in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format |
Additional Salary Information: Compensation, including benefits, is competitive and commensurate with qualifications.
| President and CEO, Grand Rapids Symphony | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Grand Rapids Symphony | 4 Weeks Ago |
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