About a year ago, I was accepted into the Chief Executive Program at National Arts Strategies. This particular cohort is focused on leaders using cultural organizations to change/alter/improve community. Unlike the prior cohorts, this third cohort is heavily populated with founders – creatives that saw an unmet need in their communities and started a new organization to address the gaps. They are artists and activists following their passions. I was three months into my new position as CEO of a mid-size arts/youth development organization … [Read more...]
Get A Mentor
I got my first CEO job at a nonprofit because the woman who hired me as her second in command told me she would invest in my development and ensure that I was prepared to take over when she retired – and she did just that. Her investment in me cut 3-5 years off of my career plan. Thinking back, some of my best positions came as a result of a referral from a mentor or because someone advocated for me to be hired into a position where I was not a clear ‘fit’. On the other side of this is the time I spent languishing in positions where I knew I … [Read more...]