Posted: 28-Oct-25
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Type: Full Time
Salary: $140,000-$160,000
Preferred Education:
For the complete position prospectus, please write to Chris Wingert at chriswingert@aspenleadershipgroup.com
POSITION:
The President and Chief Executive Officer will provide positive leadership and vision to ensure
the Kalamazoo Symphony’s organizational, financial, and artistic success.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
ORCHESTRAL OPERATIONS
The President and Chief Executive Officer will
• be responsible and accountable for all aspects of the Orchestra’s operations, including
strategic planning, budgeting and financial management, artistic administration and some
program planning, contract negotiations and labor relations, marketing and public relations,
fundraising, human resource management, education, and community engagement; and
• ensure that the Kalamazoo Symphony realizes its vision, fulfills its mission, achieves its
operational and budgetary goals, and fulfills its commitment to diversity, equity, and
inclusion.
FUNDRAISING AND CREATIVE REVENUE STRATEGIES
The President and Chief Executive Officer will
• take a leadership role in fundraising, develop creative fundraising strategies, and provide
guidance and impetus to the fundraising efforts of the Board;work with the Board of Directors and the development staff to identify, cultivate, solicit, and
provide excellent stewardship for annual gifts, endowment gifts and special project gifts
from individual and institutional donors; and
• oversee special underwriting and alignment of earned revenue to planned artistic ventures.
ARTISTIC PARTNERSHIP
The President and Chief Executive Officer will
• assure that the KSO achieves its goals for artistic planning, in partnership with the Music
Director;
• negotiate and assure compliance with the KSO’s collective bargaining agreement;
• foster a strongly collaborative environment that allows orchestra members, conductors, and
guest artists to do their best work; and
• actively seek new opportunities for performances, partnerships, and collaborations
throughout the community and region, creating innovative and engaging alternative concert
formats and venues with the Music Director with the goal of welcoming, growing, and
diversifying new audiences.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The President and Chief Executive Officer will
• manage the business operations of the Orchestra;
• oversee the development of annual budgets and multi-year financial projections, with a
focus toward sustainability;
• ensure that the KSO achieves or exceeds goals for both earned and contributed income;
and
• recruit, motivate, supervise, and evaluate a high caliber administrative staff.
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS
The President and Chief Executive Officer will
• be a spokesperson and visible representative of the Kalamazoo Symphony throughout the
community;
• actively participate in the arts, education, and greater not-for-profit community as well as in
civic organizations;
• advocate for the KSO with government and the business community;
• ensure the Orchestra’s commitment to and engagement with all parts of the community;
and
• place special emphasis on continually building and diversifying the audience and patron
base.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra seeks a President and Chief Executive Officer with
• a commitment to the mission of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra – to serve its
community through outstanding musical listening and learning experiences;
• a history of being a proven, passionate, and creative leader who is able to effect change
and inspire excellence in a complex organization;
• strong communication skills and the ability to articulate ideas compellingly in public to
represent the Symphony with passion and clarity to diverse audiences;
• a collegial and collaborative leadership style that promotes teamwork, embraces different
points of view, and fosters creativity across the organization;
• senior executive experience, ideally in the not-for-profit performing arts, with strong
knowledge of orchestras, music, artists, and repertoire;
• demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts, endowment campaigns, and
cultivating meaningful relationships with donors, patrons, and community leaders;
• proven financial planning and management skills, with the ability to achieve revenue goals,
manage expenses responsibly, and balance operating budgets;
• a commitment to innovative programming that serves multiple audiences, expands patron
loyalty, and advances the Symphony’s role in music education;
• an ability to motivate, guide, and support a volunteer board of directors, while mentoring
and coaching a high-performing administrative team;
• experience in working effectively and collaboratively with music directors, musicians, and
other creative artists within collective bargaining environments;
• an ability to be a resilient, curious, and imaginative problem-solver with high integrity;
• a dedication to transparency; and
• a desire to engage actively in the civic and cultural life of the Kalamazoo community.
A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least
seven years of arts management experience is preferred for this role.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If
you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to KSO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be
responsive to the mission of Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the responsibilities and
competencies presented in the position prospectus. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected.
For the complete position prospectus, please write to Chris Wingert at chriswingert@aspenleadershipgroup.com. To apply for this position, use the link provided in this posting to view application details through the Aspen Leadership Group.
