Executive Director Job Description for Orange County NY Arts Council, Inc.
Background
A brand new organization, the Orange County Arts Council received its articles of
incorporation in February 2007 and will soon have official 501c3 status. Developed through the
input of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Orange County Citizens Foundation, the
community and from Orange County Government, the vision for the Arts Council is to meet the
following long-range goals that emerged as recommendations from the County’s 2004 cultural
needs assessment:
1.
coordinate information and services to make the arts more visible and
accessible to Orange County residents;
2.
integrate the arts into economic development and county planning initiatives;
3.
advocate for arts education;
4.
provide technical support to build capacity of arts organizations and individual
artists to create quality arts programs.
A board of directors was set in place in 2006 and meets monthly to oversee the direction and
future of the arts council. Priorities for 2007 have been established; a few projects have begun.
The Board now seeks an Executive Director to provide ongoing momentum towards overall
goals and 2007 objectives and to bring the Arts Council to its next phase in development.
As one of the fastest-growing counties in New York State in the last decade, Orange
County is located approximately one hour from Manhattan and has a population of 371,000.
Although numerous independent arts organizations and artists exist within the county, activities
are not coordinated and do not provide full-time services to either artists or arts organizations.
The Executive Director of the Orange County New York Arts Council will lead this emerging
coordinating entity in providing and facilitating communication, organizing collaborative
marketing and promotion, advocating for arts education, and representing the county’s cultural
economic sector in partnerships and promotions with other agencies.
Job Duties
The Executive Director will:
 oversee the growth and management of the new organization
 act as a liaison between the arts council, community arts organizations, artists, Orange
County businesses, schools, the local community and county government
 develop, facilitate and maintain all funding streams for the organization
 assist in continuing to build the foundation of the organization, including board development,
committee development, and the identification of activities and goals in collaboration with
the Board of Directors
 advise all arts council committees whose tasks are to address the goals of the organization
 identify and address issues of economic development of the arts in the county
 educate the community on the benefits of arts on the quality of life in the county
 advocate and develop arts in education and life-long learning programs
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 develop presentations of arts programs of excellence for the benefit of Orange County
residents
 oversee the development of support staff and volunteer programs
 provide technical assistance in arts development and capacity building to other arts agencies
in the county
 manage all fiscal policies and financial records as set by the Board of Directors
Qualifications
The Executive Director will have a minimum of five years experience in arts management, with
an appropriate educational background. The Executive Director must have experience in
developing new organizations or non-profit agencies and be prepared for the challenges of
creating a new 501(c)(3), with an express focus on financial sustainability of the organization.
In-depth knowledge of Orange County’s arts stakeholders and a broad-based understanding of
the local potential for artistic growth and development in a myriad of disciplines is preferred.
Skills and Characteristics
 Ability to work independently
 Talented at inspiring consensus and can work in partnership with all levels of
stakeholders to carry out the mission of the Council.
 Ability to make the organization’s vision tangible
 Simultaneous supervision of a variety of projects and tasks
 Preparation and management of budgets
 Successful history of fund-raising, grant-writing, membership development and
corporate giving
 Ability to oversee long-range and strategic planning
 Ability to work collaboratively with various arts and business communities to create
partnerships in the county
 Ability to work with diverse cultural communities and underserved constituencies in
Orange County
 Represent the Arts Council to the community, county, municipal politicians, media
and stakeholders
 Management of staff
 Strong advocacy and diplomatic skills
 Strong written and oral communication skills
 The desire and ability to identify win-win solutions whenever possible
 In-depth knowledge of at least one arts discipline through either education or
experience and the ability to work within all arts disciplines
 Provide leadership to the Board of Directors and community partners
 The ability to articulate and demonstrate a true passion for the cause and a strong
commitment to move it forward
Reporting Relationship
The Executive Director will report to the Board, as represented by the Chair of the Board.
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