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Executive Director: Newark School of the Arts
Internships, My 9 News
Program Director, Parks for People—Newark, Trust for Public Land
Executive Director, The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company

Executive Director: Newark School of the Arts

The Newark School of the Arts seeks an individual to serve as Executive Director upon the retirement of Stephan Shiman at the end of June 2010 (see Board Announcement later in this posting).

Incorporated in 1968, the Newark School of the Arts (NSA) provides after-school, evening and Saturday classes in music, dance, drama and the visual arts for about 500 students of all ages and abilities from Newark and a nine-county area in northern New Jersey. Nearly a quarter of the student body is comprised of adults. NSA sponsors over 50 performances, exhibitions and events each year at the school and in the community.

There are two divisions of NSA: a community division for children and adults with no requirements for admission, and a professional division for students who qualify for intensive training. NSA has a joint program with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, known as the Carollo Scholarship Program, which has attracted some of the best talent in the area.

The school is housed in a 100-year old four-story structure facing Lincoln Park which was originally a private home and then medical headquarters. The first floor of the 36-room building has been extensively renovated in the past year to add dance and visual arts training space, an art gallery and performing space. There is ample parking from two adjacent lots.

To ensure access to its programs, the school’s tuition rates are modest, and there is an extensive financial aid program based on documented need. Scholarships are available for students who demonstrate talent. Using City Development Block Grants (CDBG) funds, there is currently a special introductory program at very low tuition rates for Newark residents.

The Newark School of the Arts has an international faculty with degrees and advanced degrees from leading conservatories. Many are performers and artists of note in their own right, who occasionally perform for students, parents and others within the community.

NSA has been financially responsible with a balanced budget or surplus in most of the 42 year history and is in sound financial condition.  It is supported by a combination of foundation, business, individual, and government funds.  It has been widely recognized for its work, including two Challenge Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1982 and 1988, a "Citation of Excellence"  (2003 to 2006) and designated as a "Major Presenting" and/or "Service Organization" by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (2003 to present).

The Newark School of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status or sexual orientation.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DUTIES, SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

The Executive Director carries out a number of duties which are well described in the Bylaws: The Executive Director shall manage the operation of the School. With approval of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director shall execute contracts and other instruments for the School, shall employ the personnel of the School, shall make available to each employee of the personnel manual of the School, shall have general charge of all of the School’s operations and activities, and shall perform all duties incident to the position and other authorized duties. The Executive Director will control receipts and disbursements of monies and submit necessary financial reports and other data that is required by the Treasurer and/or the President. The Director shall attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees and shall attend meetings of other committees when requested by the President.

Qualifications:
The Executive Director position is a business position that relates to the arts. Because it is essential that the candidate be able to relate well to artists, an artistic background is an important consideration. The person must have a solid understanding of school administration, educational programming, and forward planning. Above all, the candidate should have extensive experience running a nonprofit arts organization. That experience should demonstrate an ability to delegate duties, serve as a spokesperson and advocate, act as an effective fundraiser and financial manager, and be an effective communicator. The candidate must be able to work well with multiple constituencies, including patrons, Board members, artists, faculty members and staff.

Key Functions:

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Provide collaborative leadership to the faculty and staff to enhance the operations of the School and its mission; be an inclusive and sensitive leader with respect to students, parents, the community and supporters.

FUNDRAISING
Oversee the establishment and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy that increases fundraising activities for the annual operating budget and for long term capital needs; develop and nurture specific corporate, foundation, and individual donor relationships.

BOARD RELATIONS
Develop a strong working relationship and partnership with the Chairman of the Board, the Board and the Board’s committees; assist in efforts to recruit Board members; work with Board on strategic planning and execution of activities to support the vision and mission of the NSA.

EXTERNAL OUTREACH
Build productive relationships with relevant constituencies representing a variety of ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds – parents, students, funders, elected officials and other policy makers, the press, community leaders, the Board, employees and other interest groups.

COMPENSATION

Salary will be commensurate with experience. A benefit package is included.

HOW TO APPLY:

Email resumes to hr@newarkschoolofthearts.org. No telephone calls, please.

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Program Director, Parks for People—Newark

Trust for Public Land

Position Summary:
The Program Director is responsible for implementing all aspects of a $30 million park development and stewardship program that sustains and creates new playgrounds and parks on publicly owned land in Newark, New Jersey. To date, the Parks for People—Newark program has created seven new community parks and playgrounds. In the next three years, we will develop two city parks and create or expand three community playgrounds. We will also lead a collaborative planning process to design parkland for the Passaic River waterfront. Critical aspects of the position involve managing a community development process with a particular focus on involving community stakeholders in site design and park stewardship. Expertise in the areas of community organizing, collaborative design, project management, governmental relations and partnership development are important.

Responsibilities:

• Project Management: Manage all aspects of the park development process including oversight of environmental engineers, design consultants, and construction contractors. The Program Director will take primary responsibility for all project schedules and budgets and supervising the Newark Program Manager in day-to-day project oversight.
• Stewardship: Oversee the development and implementation of program stewardship plans to increase public agency and community capacity for park and playground maintenance and operations. Supervise Program Manager and Program Associate in the completion of periodic inspections of completed sites, the maintenance of relationships with school and cityrepresentatives, the training of both agency staff and community in implementing stewardship tasks, and the engagement of both youth and community in park cleanup and community events.
• Governmental Relations: Manage relations with public agency representatives, including Newark’s Department of Neighborhood Services, Engineering, Economic Development, and Office of the Business Administrator, Newark Housing Authority, Newark Public Schools, Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs, the State Department of Environmental Protection and others involved in providing funding or partnering in project implementation.
• Partnership Development: Oversee the program partnerships with local non-profits in support of park development and stewardship goals.
• Fundraising: Oversee all aspects of the program’s public funding efforts including identification of public funding sources, application process, execution of funding agreements, and reimbursements process. Work closely with the New Jersey State Director and regional development staff in their efforts to raise private funds for the program.
• Budgeting: Manage multi-year program budget in support of funding goals and annual expenditure forecasts.
• Marketing: Develop and oversee the implementation of public outreach plans in coordination with New Jersey State Director and regional public relations staff to promote program visibility and funding efforts. Supervise staff in hosting public events.
• Strategic Planning: Support New Jersey State Director in the development of annual and multiyear strategic plans for the program.
• Supervision: Oversee Newark program staff, a Program Manager and Program Associate, in the implementation of the program’s design, construction and stewardship functions.
  

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of work experience in the field of communitydevelopment is required. Master’s degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, or Public Administration is a plus.
• Experience in design and construction management, including oversight of design and construction professionals, budgets, project schedules.
• Experience in overseeing environmental assessment and remediation as part of overall site development projects.
• Experience orchestrating a collaborative design process involving community members, public agencies and other community stakeholders.
• Prior work experience with young people and/or diverse stakeholder groups.
• Work experience in Newark, New Jersey.
• Experience in urban parks development and management.
• Experience procuring and administering public grants and administering public contracts in New Jersey.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Highly detail oriented and organized.

To apply, please send letter and resume, indicating salary requirements to:

The Trust for Public Land
Attn: Lisa Chao
666 Broadway, 9 th Floor
New York, New York 10012

Email: MaroJobs@tpl.org
Fax: 212-353-2052

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Executive Director, The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company

The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company (CDDC), a New Jersey-based professional not-for-profit contemporary dance company, is seeking a full-time Executive Director.

Led by Artistic Director Carolyn Dorfman, CDDC is highly acclaimed for its artistic excellence and range as well as its extraordinary ability to communicate to audiences about dance and the creative process. CDDC appears at major theaters, dance festivals, and universities regionally, nationally and internationally and has also created model programs in arts education and community-based residencies. CDDC enjoys a solid, consistent funding base along with an active and growing Board of Trustees.

The Executive Director works in partnership with the Artistic Director to develop and execute strategic plans to achieve the vision and mission of the Company, including artistic, educational and outreach programming. He/she directs and supervises all business activities including financial and personnel management; public relations, promotions, and marketing; booking and touring; development; special events management; and long-range planning. The Executive Director also works closely with the Board of Trustees in all aspects of its operations to facilitate the goals of the Company. Candidate must have a passion for the arts and proven leadership ability with the capacity to manage staff (3-4) and independent contractors. He/she must demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, flexibility, and an ability to inspire and motivate.

Qualifications: 3-5 years experience in arts administration at the senior management level in one or more of the areas identified above. Candidates with strength in marketing and development highly preferred. Experience with and knowledge of the dance field and New Jersey/New York regional arts are sought as well. The position is available January 2009 and will remain open until filled. Competitive salary and benefits.

Please submit cover letter, résumé, writing sample and references to:

Search.cddc@verizon.net

www.cddc.info

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