Dear Puppeteers across the land,
It is with great excitement that your Board of Trustees announces the decision to partner with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre to establish a home office for our organization in Minneapolis, MN.
HOBT’s leadership is comprised of Artistic Director, Sandy Spieler and Executive Director, Loren Niemi, both of whom have extensive experience making art in an urban and social context. HOBT has an $800K annual budget with a FTE staff of eight and 40 contract artists working in their performance, education and community building programs. Currently HOBT is located in the Avalon Theater at 1500 E. Lake Street in Minneapolis. It is a 200 seat former movie house adjacent to two bus lines, having a shared parking lot immediately adjacent to the building. They have multiple phone lines, Internet and Wi-Fi access available. They also rent 3000 sq ft. of classroom, studio and storage space at Plaza Verde, an adjacent rehabilitated commercial structure on Lake Street.
As I write, the Board of Trustees and other members of the organization are working on the initial steps in this process. These include contracting with a CPA to make sure our financial house is in order, registering ourselves as a non-profit in the state of Minnesota, and transferring our physical resources to the HOBT facilities in Minneapolis.
PofA’s appointed Executive Director Search Committee has posted a very detailed job description on local (MN) and national job sites. We ask you to carefully read the job posting and if you know of someone who meets the qualifications and would be a good fit for us, please encourage them to apply.
The deadline for applications is March 31, 2013.
If you have any questions about these developments, please feel free to contact me or Anna Vargas, Chair of the Search Committee. Thank you to Loren Niemi for contributing information for this announcement.
And thank you for your continuing support,
Nick Hubbard
President
Board of Trustees
The Puppeteers of America
Executive Director for Puppeteers of America
www.puppeteers.org
Puppeteers of America, a national nonprofit organization, founded in 1937, provides information, encourages performances and builds a community of people who love puppet theater.
Puppeteers of America has existed for over 75 years, sponsoring yearly festivals, producing a quarterly journal and providing many other services, all through the goodwill of our volunteer members.
Puppeteers of America is now ready to take the next step as an arts organization and is seeking to hire a professional with general management skills to serve as Executive Director. The main responsibilities are Development, Financial Management and Member Services. Salary range 37-40K plus benefits. Location : Minneapolis, MN.
Job Duties:
Development:
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Develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive fundraising plan.
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Develop and sustain a diverse funding base with an emphasis on grant and proposal writing, corporate and foundation giving, growing the membership base and developing an individual donor base.
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Research, secure and manage funds from a variety of sources, and appropriate reporting to donors/grantors. Maintain complete records of fundraising efforts and donors to maximize results.
Financial:
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Develop and maintain sound financial systems, follow generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP).
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Prudently manage the organization’s resources within budget guidelines, within current laws and regulations, make decisions to maximize resources and minimize waste.
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Work with the Board Treasurer to provide the Board with monthly financial reports and to develop and present an annual budget for Board approval.
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Work with accountants and bookkeeping service to maintain accurate and timely records and comply with state and federal reporting and withholding requirements.
General Administration:
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Managing the Membership Office which includes data entry, membership renewals and assembling the ballot. Follow established policies and procedures, while expanding and revising to ensure Puppeteers of America is operating using best practices.
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Prepare for anticipated growth, including training, career development, hiring and firing, succession planning and performance management for all staff.
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Execute legal documents (jointly with designated officers) and conduct official correspondence, including mail, telephone and email.
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Administer email and IT needs, ensuring adequate support for the Board and staff to effectively conduct the business of the Puppeteers of America.
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Ensure adequate systems are in place to address withholding requirements, tracking of hours, benefits administration, performance management and other related human resources needs.
Board Support:
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Enable the Board to fulfill its governance function by: working with the Board Chair to plan monthly board meetings; working closely with the Nominating Committee to recruit, train and maintain a strong, balanced Board of Trustees; and provide the Board with frequent updates on programming, development and governance issues.
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Serve as ex-officio board member and assist committees, as needed. Provide administrative support to the Board.
Program Management and Event Planning:
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Expand current programming within the vision of Puppeteers of America.
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Work with volunteers to produce regular Puppeteers of America festivals and events, with guidance from the Board.
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Assess programs with defined indicators, both for grant reporting and annual evaluation by the Board.
Community and Public Relations:
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Serve as a public advocate for Puppeteers of America.
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Ensure the Puppeteers of America and its mission, programs, products and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders.
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Deepen and refine all aspects of communications – from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand.
Qualifications:
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Undergraduate degree required. Advanced study in the arts, non-profit management or business preferred.
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Experience expanding an existing organization, recognition of the unique challenges of this organizational stage, and the skills/knowledge to raise it to the next level of development.
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A minimum of 3-5 years past employment in non-profit/arts administration with demonstrated ability and leadership skills in the following areas:
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Successful grant writing experience, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to serve as a prominent spokesperson.
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Strong computer skills and familiarity with current web and media trends.
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Capable of handling a complex workload; able to focus on the overall and long term needs of the organization while maintaining daily obligations.
Employment type:
Full time
Professional level:
Managerial
Salary range (annual, U.S. $):
37,000 – 40,000
Benefits:
Yes
Job function:
Administration
Owner’s areas of focus:
Arts
Please send resume with cover letter to Anna Vargas annadvargas@gmail.com by March 31, 2013. Use “Executive Director Position” in the subject line. References need to be provided upon request. By USPS: Anna Vargas 39 Besen Parkway Airmont, NY 10952
