2013 EAL/LA Leadership Council Co-Chair election time is here! If you are a registered member of ealla.org you will receive an email with a link to VOTE. Wanna know who’s running? Read more about the candidates below.

For election schedule and position descriptions, please read: http://ealla.org/leadership-council-call-for-co-chair-applications-2013/

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Executive Co-Chair Candidate

Christa Lorenz, Assistant Director of Stewardship, University Advancement, University of Southern California

I joined EAL/LA at the beginning of 2012 during a time of great professional turmoil. I was unsure of what my next professional steps should and would be, and often felt as though I was the only one who was struggling to find the right place for me in the world of the arts. Joining EAL/LA was a turning point for me. The ability to connect with other young professionals at all stages of career growth gave me the confidence and energy to work toward my larger goals.

The executive co-chair position aligns well with two of my current professional goals: first, to broaden my experience in organizational leadership, and second, to connect further with the local arts and philanthropic sectors. I have worked in fundraising for nearly three years and, as I look ahead to the future of my career, am interested in deepening my leadership skills with the hope of taking on an executive director role somewhere down the road. Having the opportunity to collaborate with such a dynamic and exciting group as EAL/LA would be a great first step in that direction. Continuing to learn about the organization as a member of the Leadership Council would provide me with a new and important perspective. I would like to expand the number of professional development seminars throughout the year, keeping a close eye on trends in the arts, philanthropy, and other areas of interest to the membership of EAL/LA. As a member of the current APAL cohort, I have several ideas to improve and strengthen that program, which has already been a significant step in my own professional and personal development. I also want to be sure that we are serving the community of artists within our group.

Our organization already has such a tremendous impact on the lives of so many young professionals in LA, and I would be honored to be a part of the leadership team that will sustain and expand those opportunities.

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Finance Co-Chair Candidates

Thu-Nga Dan, Studio Manager, Matthew Snyder Recordings

During my tenure as the Communications Director for the Grammy Award winning Southwest Chamber Music, I have held many roles that extended beyond my core responsibility of press, donor, and public relations, such as marketing, programming, and concert operations. But one role I have come to appreciate is finance.

As the liaison between the Vietnamese and American artists during the U.S. State Department sponsored cultural exchange, I participated in fund raising, budget negotiations, labor contracts, and disbursement of funds. In these roles, I have learned the importance of finance in keeping projects on a successful and sustainable path. Finance gives project stakeholders the tools to choose among many worthy artistic projects and prioritize the goals of a project given limited resources.

Some of the goals and objectives I hope to achieve as Co-Chair are as follows:
-Develop effective working relationship with chairs and co-chairs of other departments, as finance should liaise with other functional areas in order for the organization to operate effectively.
-Learn about the EALA’s budgeting process and help find ways to develop a budget that fits in with organization’s long term and short term strategic goals and current operations.
- Learn about EALA’s accounting systems and process and help find ways to make data collection and reporting requirements efficient while still capturing the necessary level of detail.

I believe I am the right fit for the role of Co-Chair of Finance at EALA. I have the right blend of experience to be able to contribute to the group, but there is still much I could learn in working with the Chair of Finance. As an aspiring leader in the field of non-profits arts management, I am looking to develop wide range of skills that will allow me to be a well founded and effective leader.

Laura Sardisco, Social Media Consultant, Independent

My current position as an independent Social Media Consultant is demanding, it requires a high-level of performance and constantly being on top of the latest trends of our digital age. However, it is not entirely fulfilling, because my true passion is in the arts, especially the business of the arts.

Due to my participation in the 2013 APAL Cohort, I have had the opportunity to find an amazing mentor who has inspired me to take business courses. She has made me realize the importance of business and financial acumen to the future of our field. With her encouragement, I have been taking finance and accounting courses at Wharton School of Business.

The abilities and skills that I have gained at Wharton would greatly benefit EAL/LA; they include: accrual accounting, analyzing financial statements and disclosures, preparation of fiscal reports, evaluating present value techniques, capital budgeting principles, asset valuation, evaluating the operation and efficiency of financial markets, evaluating the financial decisions of firms, and calculating derivatives.

This position as Finance Co-Chair is an opportunity for me to apply my understanding of finance by learning how to navigate through all aspects of an organization’s budgetary workings. I am also hoping this position will place me among a group of like-minded peers while challenging my professional skill-set, ultimately making me a more resourceful and flexible member of the arts community. I also hope that this position will help me increase my professional relevance, and lead to a transition from the independent media into a theatrical institution.

Being a part of EAL/LA has connected me to a larger community of Arts Administrators and non-profit professionals. As I advance in my career, I hope to deepen these connections and continue to meet creative individuals who are also dedicated to the arts. In addition, I would like to grow with EAL/LA over the long haul and serve the next generation of young emerging leaders.

Some specific goals and objectives I hope to achieve as Finance Co-Chair is to help guide EAL/LA thru the next chapter of its grow, especially should we transition out of fiscal sponsorship.

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Development Co-Chair Candidates

Serena Johnson, Administrative Assistant, Glendale Arts

I am interested in the Development Co-Chair position at EAL/LA.   Since I have been involved with ELA/LA the organization has provided me with invaluable support, as well as an ever-growing skill set for success as an arts development leader. I hope to use these skills in a leadership position at EAL/LA. I am deeply passionate about the arts and through my work in arts development I hope to help the arts flourish in our communities and to facilitate the necessary resources for them to thrive.

I would excel as the Development Co-Chair. I love building relationships, both within and outside of the organizations where I work, and I thoroughly enjoy working in a team atmosphere.  I have a deep passion for the arts, and a desire to facilitate the network, infrastructure and resources for them to thrive.  I am a proactive, creative, problem solver, and I am constantly looking for new opportunities to collaborate and to grow.

This position would be a phenomenal growth opportunity for me professionally and personally.  While I have worked on development projects in the past, I have never served as a project leader for arts development.  As a co-chair, I would look forward to overseeing projects from beginning to end.  I hope to learn the intricacies of how development works from a managerial perspective.   On a personal level, this position would provide me an opportunity to assess my strengths as well as my weaknesses in a new context.  Though this position, I hope to both serve EAL/LA and personally grow as a as a well-rounded arts development leader.

As the Development Co-Chair, I hope to develop a solid infrastructure for continued funding of EAL/LA.  I will work toward achieving ELA/LA 501 (c) 3 status, as well as continually pursuing grants and other funding opportunities for the program. I will consistently work to solve problems in an effective and collegial atmosphere and continue to bring new and imaginative ideas to the table.

I am completely committed to devoting my time and energy to bringing opportunities to EAL/LA.  I hope to continue to provide stellar workshops and seminars and help emerging professionals gain the tools they need to go out and support the arts in their community.

I am excited for my continued journey with EAL/LA and hope it will be as your new Development Co-Chair.

 

Jina Chung, Grants Coordinator and Curatorial Liaison, Mount St. Mary’s College

To make art accessible and engaging for urban environments like Los Angeles, it is imperative that civic and community leaders create cultural programs that promote inclusivity and artistic collaboration. I believe the mission and vision of Emerging Arts Leaders/Los Angeles (EAL/LA), which is to foster creativity and enrich the city’s cultural landscape, provides aspiring arts leaders with the training and supportive network they need to create and implement innovative arts programming for diverse audiences. As the Development Co-Chair, I will have the opportunity to not only contribute my skills and knowledge to fulfill EAL/LA’s mission and fundraising goals, but I will also have the chance to learn from and work closely with other arts leaders passionate about creating an engaged arts community in Los Angeles.

My current position as the Grants Coordinator and Curatorial Liaison at Mount St. Mary’s College (MSMC), a liberal arts college serving low-income students from diverse backgrounds, has helped me build a strong foundation in individual and institutional giving. Annually, I prepare nearly 80 letters of inquiries, proposals, and reports to support a variety of funding needs, including the College’s art gallery and student scholarship support. In addition to grant writing, I also lend my creative talents to manage the Friends of the Doheny Mansion (foDM) membership program. Under my leadership, I re-designed foDM brochures and implemented a new direct mail campaign, which enabled me to raise $7,450 in less than a year. Recently, I challenged and inspired my team to leverage social media and new technologies as means to raise the College’s fundraising capacity. As a result, the College is working on integrating Square, an app for credit card transactions that I recommended, as a way to accept and solicit donations at special events and donor visits.

The skills and projects I developed in my current position, however, would not have been as successful and strong if it weren’t for several staff mentors who took the time to work collaboratively with me on various projects. By listening to constructive criticism and seeking expertise outside my field helped me realize that projects are strongest when tasks are properly delegated. EAL/LA’s organizational structure provides mentorship, feedback, and accountability that truly promotes and fosters effective leadership. Specifically, I would like to help build a strong corporate sponsorship program and conduct prospect research to look for new funding opportunities for EAL/LA’s programmatic initiatives. Since fundraising for the arts is challenging in today’s tough economy, I believe working with individuals with varied fundraising experience will help me better understand art administration and management.

The visual arts truly possesses the potential to foster powerful conversations between unique and diverse groups. It would be a privilege to bring my skill set to EAL/LA’s Development Co-Chair position and work collaboratively with the leadership council to strategically plan and implement fundraising initiatives that will help support innovative events and programs to create an engaged arts community in Los Angeles.

 

Leslie Fraser, Art Specialist, Kidspace Children’s Museum

As a pre-professional in arts administration looking to get into the field I reached out to museum and arts professionals for informational interviews and anyone that could act as a resource on my own. I never belonged to an organization like EAL/LA where the network is provided by professionals in the field intending to provide the networking opportunities through organizational leadership. I really like that aspect of EAL/LA. I want to bring more opportunity to the organization to help train young professionals in their career as the Co-Chair of Development. There are so many of us in a mass network ready to help each other, I really want to make sure the funds are there to ensure success in our professional journey together.

My proposal writing skills secured Kidspace Children’s Museum’s participation in a high profile arts event that included grant money funding. In addition to proposal writing and grant management skills I plan major events for Kidspace Children’s Museum. Such events include our Noon Year’s Eve Celebration where up to 2000 guests bring in the New Year with a balloon drop at 12:00pm December 31st, toast with apple cider, make noon year’s popper crafts and enjoy performances by mainstream performing artists in the children’s entertainment industry. I currently manage a grant from the City of Pasadena for Kidspace to contract and facilitate productions by performing artists for our monthly Free Family Nights bringing 700+ guests during the school year; 1700+ guests during the summer months for the last five consecutive seasons and work closely with our development department to ensure we receive it and keep its integrity each year.

The opportunity to fundraise with EAL/LA and gain fundraising and grant writing/development experience is valuable to all of us in the arts. I believe strongly that development brings a backbone to any non-profit organization and while I have worked alongside our development team, I want more experience in development and fundraising as Co-Chair of the Development Committee. I want to help bring professional development to young and rising arts professionals and gain the experience to go on and create more arts opportunities to young adolescence and children throughout my career.

As Co-Chair I want to help create a community of dedicated patrons who understand the importance of what we do at EAL/LA and remain a part of the community for years to come. In the development community I think it is very important that we host donor thank you events to encourage more involvement in the organization and understanding of what we do for current and potential donors. I think it is important that the development committee continue to bring more grant funds and outside sources into the EAL/LA community to provide professional development programs as they have been which I have found valuable in my career and to make sure that the EAL/LA community is a stable one for both professionals and donors alike.

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Communications Co-Chair Candidates

Paul Kadzielski, Organizer, Nationbuilder

I am interested in the Co-Chair position because I am deeply passionate about the arts. Too long have arts organizations from a lack of leadership. I would like to become part of the change in this system that EAL-LA has begun and make arts leadership a desirable, practical, and admirable career choice once again. The work that EAL-LA has done to build a community of qualified, caring, and valuable leaders is impressive and it would be my goal as Co-Chair to further this mission and put Los Angeles back on the map as a global arts capital with world class leadership.

An essential element of this growth is proper education in effective communications and robust interactions with the existing arts community. I would do this by hosting workshops focusing on community organizing and development as well as engaging the leadership of key institutions such as LACMA. My experience working in communications for a variety of entities gives me a unique perspective that I plan to share with others. Being a Co-Chair of the Emerging Arts Leaders would provide a pathway for my career to grow in the artistic space of LA while developing the community itself.

As a native Los Angelino, artist, and a professional organizer I have worked at the intersection of my passions for years but never felt that the arts community in Los Angeles was a true community until meeting Ryan. His vision to unite, empower, and grow the bonds between artists and the arts organizations of the city has been an inspiration and I look forward to having the opportunity to work together.

 

David G. Marks, Photo/Video/Social Media Professional, Freelance/Independent Consultant

When I was first introduced to the Programming Committee in early 2012, I knew right away that EAL/LA was a savvy, friendly, supporting group of arts professionals. The intentions of the group were clear: to connect people and offer great opportunities for those looking to expand their horizons in the arts. EAL/LA did as much for me and I soon landed my first museum job shortly after joining the group. After gaining professional experience and participating in various aspects of EAL/LA, I would like to join as Communications Co-Chair and help others to find this group as rewarding as I have.

As Communications Co-Chair, I would bring my 8+ years of marketing experience to the table and put it to good use, especially my previous year of work, managing the digital presence of the Petersen Automotive Museum. There, I was able to more than double our social media numbers, increase engagement, launch the museum’s official Instagram account, as well as develop and launch a Webby-nominated website as part of a collaborative team.

The collective knowledge base that continues to be refined by the talented and capable people of EAL/LA would be a great resource to continue my professional development. I am confident in my abilities to use and adapt to current and new digital platforms, but having access to a team and structure that encourages that exploration would surely boost my skill set and therefore, the capabilities of EAL/LA. For the duration of the position, I would help the group gain more followers, create content that would inspire and invite participation, as well as evaluate current digital resources for any improvements, including formatting and copy-editing of standard forms. As a technophile, I would also jump at the chance to research and implement cost-effective means of improving any hardware and software setups currently being used for purposes such as archiving and communications.

Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to continuing collaboration with EAL/LA, whether as Communications Co-Chair or otherwise.

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Marketing & Membership Co-Chair Candidates

Eric Brown, Communications Coordinator, Center Theatre Group

While most of the boys in my neighborhood gathered at the park after school to play basketball, I spearheaded a Phantom of the Opera fan club, inspired by my first visit to the Ahmanson Theatre in 1991. We began with three members, but after a strategic campaign targeting other “geeks” in the community, we grew by 67 percent — a modest success, to be sure, but the five of us were proud to belong to such an exclusive group.

That experience taught me an important lesson: Nothing feeds the soul or brings people together quite like a work of art. I would be privileged to serve the leaders guaranteeing that arts lovers have reason to come together for many generations to come.

For this reason, I am writing to express interest in becoming the Emerging Arts Leaders/Los Angeles Marketing & Membership Co-chair, a position I learned about from my friend and colleague Maria Paredes, the forthcoming EAL/LA Development Chair. If elected, I would bring the following qualifications to this position:

• Ability to plan marketing campaigns and conduct public relations research.
• Skilled writing that targets specific audiences and pursues strategic objectives.
• Leadership and project management experience.
• A positive, can-do work ethic.

In my day-to-day work as the donor communications coordinator for Center Theatre Group, I create content to attract prospective donors and encourage sustained giving. Serving as the EAL/LA’s marketing and membership co-chair would give me a chance to apply these skills and build others not currently in my job description. In my recent graduate studies, I learned the ins and outs of planning a communications campaign, from researching target publics to developing strategy to evaluating results. Most of my work at CTG focuses on tactical implementation, and I’m eager to take on increased responsibility to support the Los Angeles community of emerging arts leaders.

As co-chair, I hope to develop strategies that encourage current members to continue and increase their involvement with EAL/LA, to help emerging arts leaders throughout Los Angeles become more familiar with EAL/LA’s mission and programs, and to increase brand awareness of EAL/LA in ways that attract potential funders and partners.

My résumé follows and details further my qualifications for this office. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Abegail Baguio, Administrative Assistant/Assistant to the Associate Vice President of Membership, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

“Metropolis Los Angeles, is, in most respects, the national leader in arts and culture.”

-LA2050 report by the Goldhirsh Foundation

I am interested in applying for the Membership and Marketing Co-Chair position for EALLA. My genuine interest and active involvement in the arts, and nearly seven years of experience in working for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art encouraged me to apply for the position. I am fortunate to be part of a major cultural institution, and my experience has afforded me a 360-degree perspective—from the inner workings of the department, budget management, marketing, supervising volunteers, to communicating with over 60,000 members—to planning events and managing benefits.

Because of my different roles, I have a broad understanding of how the entire museum functions. Furthermore, I have established successful working relationships with my colleagues because I regularly work cross-departmentally with marketing, development, education, operations, and curatorial. In spite of a title change or a promotion, my role has continually expanded and has provided me with the comprehensive knowledge and understanding of how to manage a successful and efficient organization.

With the blessing of the leadership council, one of my first goals would be to redesign EALLA’s logo to have a fresh and modern look, to one that is unique, has wider appeal and will increase brand awareness. LA County is home to 11,235 arts organizations that employ 57,000 arts workers. As the MMCC, I hope to capitalize on these figures by reaching out to organizations and their emerging leaders to increase the membership base and create strategic partnerships and alliances beneficial to all parties involved. Another goal I have is to develop a strategic marketing plan that will help EALLA implement an annual/individual giving campaign to raise funds that will allow EALLA to continue serving the community and its diverse constituencies.

Additionally, hosting an annual fundraiser to further support EALLA’s existing programs, develop opportunities, and provide scholarships for other professional development programs for members is another I’d love to fulfill. Most important, I would like to further membership engagement by ensuring that EALLA amplifies its presence on the web, especially on social media, and deliver relevant content daily so we strengthen, enhance, and maintain our relationship with members. Additionally, I’d like to provide more relevant and applicable development opportunities for members, and plan a monthly cultural/social activity to help members connect with peers in their field.

I know this role would challenge me to grow individually and professionally, and is in tandem with my plans to acquire a Master’s degree either in arts or nonprofit management. Because of my work ethic, creativity, and seriousness that I apply in my current role, I believe I would be an asset to your organization. I work well individually, but also consider myself a team player, and with the help of the leadership council, I know we are very capable of creating a stronger and more sustainable future for the organization, the city, and its emerging leaders.

¹ LA2050 report by the Goldhirsh Foundation http://www.la2050.org/indicators/arts-cultural-vitality/

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Programming Co-Chair Candidates

Brandon Turner, Arts and Culture Enthusiast/Advocate, Musician, Composer, Self-Employed Musician/Composer – Part Time-Box Office Supervisor- REDCAT

Why are you interested in this Co-Chair position?

My interest in the Co-Chair position has grown out of a recent shift to a career in arts administration and the search for a position where I will be able to make an impact. EAL/LA has been the place where I have been able to get in touch with my interests and connect with people like myself looking to engage with the arts in Los Angeles. I am interested in taking a leadership role in EAL/LA to continue to build my professional skills and expand the reach of the Emerging Arts Leaders community in Los Angeles. Furthermore, I believe this organization is doing important work for the future of the arts in Los Angeles and I want to be part of moving my community forward.

How would you be a good fit for this Co-Chair position?

I believe I would be good fit for the Co-Chair position because of the professionalism and enthusiasm I would bring to the leadership council. My previous work successes can be attributed to my proficiency in a multiplicity of administrative skills: contract negotiation, clear communication across diverse groups of people, facility and personnel scheduling, public speaking, proposal writing and maintaining a social media presence. My years of training and work as an arts practitioner and administrator have imbued me with a unique perspective of the many sides of the arts field that will be beneficial to the EAL/LA programming. In addition to the previously mentioned abilities, I will bring a tireless work ethic and the necessary sense of humor to the EAL/LA leadership council.

How would this position effect your professional & personal development?

I believe this position would serve as a launch pad for what comes next in my career as an arts administrator. In the work I will do as the programming Co-Chair I will be able to develop a wide diversity of professional development programming that will expand my own knowledge of the arts field. This position will be more than just a resume line, it will be chance to forge long lasting relationships with other arts professionals locally and beyond.

What are some specific goals and/or objectives you hope to achieve as a Co-Chair?

As the programming Co-Chair I would like to continue the series of professional development workshops that have been working so well for our community. I would like to work with other leadership council members to develop programs that increase the overall reach of EAL/LA and encourage cross-sector networking and partnerships. I would like to propose several programs that partner with organizations that are considered creative but not necessarily “Arts-centric” to build relationships and additional skills for the ever-changing professional arts landscape. Additionally, I would like to work with the membership co-chairs to reach out to more arts practitioners to offer professional development programming. Artists often have a stage to advocate for the power of the arts but don’t always know how to contribute to the conversation.

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At Large Member Candidate

(Open position)

Save the Date!

EAL/LA is proud to announce the First Annual Summer Soiree!

Tickets for the benefit will be available in June!

Are you looking for a way to get more involved with EAL/LA? You’re invited to run for a Co-Chair position on the EAL/LA Leadership Council!

Election timeline:

May 22, 2013 – Call for Co-Chairs
June 5, 2013 - Deadline for applicants
June 9, 2013 - Election opens
June 22, 2013 - Voting closes
Week of June 23, 2013 - Notify Elects
July 1, 2013 - Co-Chairs announced & Terms begin

Application Review Process

Applications will be reviewed for completeness by current LC members. Once applicants are approved, profiles will be posted on ealla.org.

Application Packet Checklist

EALLA-Leadership-Council-Application-2013 [click to download]
Curriculum Vitae and/or Resume
Personal Statement

Please e-mail all Application materials to info@ealla.org  by June 5, 2013 at 5 p.m.

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About the Leadership Council

EAL/LA creates an atmosphere that is conducive to information sharing and generational leadership succession. We’re emerging arts leaders so the idea is that we expect our own leaders to eventually “emerge”.

In order to do so, we’ve created a Leadership Council (LC) that is chaired by our more seasoned members. The Chairs will aid in orienting new leaders over the course of a one-year period. During this period, the Chairs preserve institutional knowledge and ensure the sustainability of EAL/LA by working closely with and developing the Co-Chairs. As the Chairs “emerge” or transition from the network, the Co-Chairs progress into the Chairs role and a new group of Co-Chairs is elected from the networks general membership.

Responsibilities:

The Co-Chairs are expected to meet monthly with the LC and with partnered Chair on an as needed basis. Each Chair/Co-Chair committee is expected to provide a short report quarterly to the LC to document and update on the committee’s progress.

Co-Chair Descriptions

Executive Co-Chair

This is a two-year term:  one year as Executive Co-Chair (2013-2014), followed by one year as Executive Chair (2014-2015).

Development Co-Chair

This is a two-year term:  one year as Development Co-Chair (2013-2014), followed by one year as Development Chair (2014-2015).

Programming Co-Chair

Working collaboratively, Programming Chair and Co-Chair will be responsible for executing regular professional development programming for EAL/LA membership. This will include brainstorming and generating ideas, coordinating event logistics, and assisting with day-of responsibilities, as necessary. Chair and Co-Chair will provide assistance and guidance to members who seek to sponsor and organizeEAL/LA events. They will review program proposal submissions and determine which programs to recommend to Leadership Council for promotion and sponsorship. Chair and Co-Chair will communicate with planning committees to ensure programs are executed according to EAL/LA guidelines.

Programming Chair and Co-Chair will support committees for annual programs, including Creative Conversations and APAL. These programs will be managed through their respective committees, but the Programming Chair and Co-Chair will ensure the programs are being executed, are on schedule, and are in accordance with EAL/LA standards.

Additional responsibilities of the Programming Chair and Co-Chair will be to organize and attend regular meetings of Programming committee. In conjunction with the Strategic Planning process, Programming Chair and Co-Chair will develop EAL/LA Programming Priorities and Guidelines document. This will be reviewed by the Leadership Council and implemented with future EAL/LA programming.

The Programming Co-Chair is highly interested in the nuts and bolts of program development. The Co-Chair should be a highly motivated and accessible team-player. Familiarity with contemporary arts/non-profit management and professional development theories, events, speakers, and ideas is a plus, but can be substituted by an interest in these areas and a willingness to learn. Most importantly, the Co-Chair should be dedicated to ensuring EAL/LA provides high-quality, constructive, and inspirational programming to our members.

This is a two-year term:  one year as Programming Co-Chair (2013-2014), followed by one year as Programming Chair (2014-2015).

Finance Co-Chair

The Finance Chair and Co-Chair manage the EAL/LA budget. In coordination with the Executive Chair/Co-Chair, the Finance Chair and Co-Chair will develop and implement systems for maintaining budget records, approving expenses and reimbursements, and keeping the members of the Leadership Council (LC) informed about financial issues. The Co-Chair will assist the Chair in monitoring the budget on an ongoing basis by reviewing monthly budget statements from Community Partners (CP) and tracking income and disbursements. The Finance Chair and Co-Chair will be responsible for ensuring that proposed expenditures are within budget and collect necessary information for the LC and CP to evaluate and authorize the expenditures. The Co-Chair will be involved in obtaining receipts and preparing forms to be submitted to CP for reimbursement. The Finance Chair and Co-Chair will support EAL/LA’s programs by helping the Programming team create event budgets. Should a paid membership structure be introduced, the Finance Co-Chair will work with the Membership and Development Chairs and Committees to receive and track membership dues. The Finance Co-Chair will, when appropriate, assist in Development activities by providing current budget information for funding solicitation and grant reporting purposes. The Finance Co-Chair will assess EAL/LA’s budget and will meet with the Finance Chair to discuss the state of EAL/LA’s finances on at least a monthly basis. The Finance Chair and Co-Chair will work with the LC to establish budgets for several fiscal years in advance and will support the overall financial goals of the organization. The Finance Co-Chair will likely work very closely with the CP liaison (the Finance Chair Emeritus) in performing all of his or her duties. In addition, the Finance Co-Chair will assist in the initiation and implementation of various projects including finance-themed workshops, and incorporation, and act as a liason to the Nonprofit Task Force committee.

For this position, that old job description standard “detail-oriented” is a must. No formal―or even informal―accounting experience is required, but a familiarity with budget spreadsheets and monthly/annual financial statements is helpful, and those with phobia of numbers or handling money may rather apply for something else. The Finance Co-Chair should be responsible and responsive to requests for budget information from the Finance Chair and other LC members. Of course, the Finance Co-Chair should be committed to EAL/LA! Sense of humor a plus.

This is a two-year term:  one year as Finance Co-Chair (2013-2014), followed by one year as Finance Chair (2014-2015).

Communications Co-Chair

The Communication Co-Chair will assist the Chair in maintaining the website, social media and other online accounts. This includes site moderation for spam, membership, content, and access issues. The Co-Chair will help generate blog content and solicit permission for cross-posting relevant blogs to be posted on ealla.org. Co-Chair will keep an editor’s eye on website specifically blogged content. The Communications team is responsible for checking EAL/LA voicemail and general email account, and forwarding questions to appropriate people. The Communication team will assist the LC with other tech issues as they arise. The Communications team will assist the Marketing & Membership team in writing and distributing press releases and pushing out information and announcements through all channels. The communications team will work closely with all departments to develop and maintain brand fidelity. The Co-Chair will communicate to the Finance team any budgetary concerns or recurring costs. The Co-Chair will work with the Development team in identifying and implementing appropriate online revenue initiatives.

The ideal Co-Chair will be very web savvy and have be active online on a daily basis. The Co-Chair will be accessible to the LC and membership, keeping tabs on the various online accounts on a regular basis. The Co-Chair will meet with the Chair on a monthly basis aside from the LC monthly meetings. The Communications Co-Chair will have an interest in web technologies and content management. The Communications team will work on an archiving solution for audio, video, and image content for the group and will be looking to experiment with new tech tools to benefit the EAL/LA membership.

This is a two-year term:  one year as Communications Co-Chair (2013-2014), followed by one year as Communications Chair (2014-2015).

Marketing & Membership Co-Chair

This is a two-year term:  one year as Marketing & Membership Co-Chair (2013-2014), followed by one year as Marketing & Membership Chair (2014-2015).

At Large Member

As a voting member, the ALM will also attend monthly Leadership Council meetings, participate in online discussions, and work with various Chairs on projects, as available.

About the Leadership Council

Workshop by Doug Borwick, CEO, ArtsEngaged

Space is limited, please RSVP to Stephanie Moore (stephanie@ealla.org)

Treats will be provided

Effective community engagement is not an add-on activity to be carried out by a designated “engager.” To be successful, community engagement must be an essential element of virtually every aspect of an arts organization’s work: programming, development, marketing, even governance. It is important to structure and implement engagement activities so that they reflect a whole-organization perspective. Development and marketing are two sides of a single coin. Ticket buyers and donors should be viewed as a single group of people. Programming, marketing, and development are similarly inter-related. The old model of artistic directors handing a fait accompli schedule to marketers whose job it is to sell that schedule (and to development officers to fund it) diminishes the opportunities for relationship building upon which sales and fundraising depend. A community engagement lens helps unify these functions and provides the potential for greater success.

This workshop will consider what community engagement is (including how it differs from traditional marketing and audience engagement), how organizational functions can be re-imagined with a community engagement perspective, and present examples of deep engagement in the work of arts organizations. The most significant element of the session will be a dialogue among attendees about how an engagement focus might be implemented in each division of their organization.

Did you miss our fall Creative Conversation? October’s Creative Conversation: Sparking Inclusive Dialogue through Creative Placemaking video is now available!

• Are a key partner to the creative industries
• Encourage creativity
• Help prepare students and workers to compete in the 21st Century global economy
• Attract creative workers and industries of all kinds
• Stimulate the economy
• Engage residents
• Provide a sense of community, celebrating diversity and building bridges of understanding
• Draw tourists and visitors