Are you looking for a way to get more involved with EAL/LA? You’re invited to apply for a Co-Chair position on the EAL/LA Leadership Council!
Election timeline:
May 4, 2011 - Info session
May 8, 2011 - Deadline for applicants
May 9, 2011 - Applicants may give a statement @ General Meeting
May 12, 2011 - Election opens on ealla.org
May 30, 2011 - Close Election
Mid June 2011 - Notify Elects
July 1, 2011 - Co-Chair terms begin.
Application Packet Checklist
EAL/LA Leadership Council Application 2011[click to download]
Curriculum Vitae and/or Resume
Personal Statement
Please e-mail all Application materials to info@ealla.org by April 30, 2011 at 5 p.m.
Application Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by current LC members. Once applicants are approved, profiles will be posted on ealla.org. Candidates will have the opportunity to make a statement to the membership at the May 11, 2011 General Meeting.

We want YOU to join the Leadership Council! L to R: Kristin Runnels, Tara Scroggins, Rosa Langley, Cynthia Pearson, Megan Powers, Krystal Boehlert, Rebecca Nath
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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.
Terms:
The Committee charged with the strategic planning process for the network elected its first officers to serve as Chairs in February 2011. In our first year, the Co-Chairs will be running for a 3 year term, with an option to leave their position after one year (if desired). If there is no opt-out, the person will continue to serve as co-chair for a second year and transition into the role of Chair during their third year. In the event of an opt-out, mid-term elections will be held. A candidate elected at this stage would serve a total of two years, one year as Co-Chair, one as Chair
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
Development Co-Chair
The Co-Chair helps the Development Chair in creating strategies for resource development and implementing fundraising activities for EAL/LA during his or her term. The Chair and Co-Chair will work with Executive Chair/Co-Chair and Leadership Council to identify priority funding areas and coordinate with the Development work group/committee to seek funding for these areas. The Development Chair and Co-Chair will maintain the relationship with current funder while also seeking support from other sources. They will research and apply for grants and other sources of revenue, and implement action items to make progress toward the fulfillment of Strategic Planning goal #3- resource development. The Development Chair and Co-Chair may also work with Membership Chairs to coordinate a paid membership program if one should be started.
The Development Co-Chair should be ready to dive into fundraising activities for EAL/LA; a person who works well with a team and also takes initiative to research and brainstorm possible sources of revenue independently. Familiarity with fundraising practices is helpful. Most importantly, the Development Co-chair should be passionate about the goals, activities, and mission of EAL/LA.
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.
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. 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 Executive Co-Chair) in performing all of his or her duties.
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!
Communications Co-Chair
The Communication Co-Chair will assist the Chair in maintaining the website 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, 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 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.
Marketing & Membership Co-Chair
The Marketing & Membership Co-Chair will assist the Chair in writing, editing, and distributing all promotional based materials for EAL/LA including, but not limited to press releases, e-blasts, and ad copy. The Co-Chair will contribute towards building and maintaining a social media based promotions plan to increase membership presence on EAL/LA’s website through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as take the lead in maintaining content and communications on those sites. Additionally, the Co-Chair will oversee the creation and organization of press and listings contact sheets, as well as help manage all field related vendor relationships. The Marketing and Membership team will establish cohesive membership development plan and solidify membership communication strategies to ensure more effective distribution of information. The Co-Chair will assist in the creation of membership materials and will work closely with the Chair and the Programming Team for all Special Events and with the Development Team to identify funding partners to establish a membership benefits program.
The ideal candidate will have excellent writing and communications skills, as well as a willingness to learn negotiation skills. Additionally, the co-chair must prove extremely detail oriented and have an ability to manage multiple projects efficiently and ensure their timely execution. No previous marketing or development experience is required, but is preferred.
About the Leadership Council [click to download]