President and CEO sought, Jerome Foundation, St. Paul, MN

November 26, 2022 - 1:06pm — AMP

from Franklin Furnace

President & CEO

Position Description

Position: President & CEO

Organization: Jerome Foundation

Location: St. Paul, MN is the preferred location; candidates residing in New York, NY will also be considered.

Reporting Relationship: The President reports to the Board of Directors.

Website: https://www.jeromefdn.org/

The Opportunity

The Jerome Foundation is deeply inspired by the dedication, the creativity, the persistence, and the courage of arts professionals and partner nonprofit arts organizations. The Foundation also, like many grantmaking organizations, has been engaged in deep questioning and discussions around the structures and power in philanthropy. As the organization launches a search for the next President & CEO, they are truly excited about the opportunities that lay ahead. Most importantly, the Foundation will continue to look to artists to inspire, inform and help lead the way to a better future for us all.

The incoming President & CEO will lead and collaborate with a small team of incredibly dedicated and high-performing staff, devoted Board of Directors, and Members of the Jerome Corporation internally and serve as a thought leader and convener within the arts and philanthropy sector externally. The new executive will develop, manage, and execute initiatives that consistently articulate the Foundation’s core values of diversity, innovation & risk, and humility.

Organizational Background

The Jerome Foundation, founded in 1964 by artist and philanthropist Jerome Hill (1905- 1972), honors his legacy through multi-year grants to support the creation, development, and presentation of new works by early career artists.

The Foundation makes grants to vocational early career artists, and those nonprofit arts organizations that serve them, in multiple artistic disciplines in the state of Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City.

The Foundation’s highest priority is to support artists early in their careers who create work that is and/or has the potential to be:

- Compelling - offering distinctive vision and authentic voice;

- Deeply considered, imaginative, and executed with attention to craft and with technical proficiency, providing artistic experiences that communicate unique perspective/s, and invite viewers to question, discover, explore new ideas in new ways;

- Innovative and risk-taking - engaging, questioning, challenging or re-imagining conventional artistic forms. Innovation and risk-taking are Jerome Foundation values that reflect our interest in supporting artists from diverse backgrounds and experiences who are expanding ways of working, asking questions, and inspiring new ways of imagining.

The Jerome Foundation’s ultimate goal is to support the artistic and career development of these artists who (whether working individually or as part of a team, ensemble or collective) exercise ultimate artistic control in generating new works and who demonstrate:

- Imagination and rigor in their practice and production of new work

-Technical proficiency and a high level of craft

-Compelling and distinctive vision and authentic voice

- Connection to intended audiences/participants

- A self-awareness of their place in a larger aesthetic tradition or in a larger constituency

-Boldness and risk-taking

- Exploration of and challenges to conventional artistic forms

-Critical inquiry of artistic practice within their field and arts ecosystems regionally and nationally

Jerome’s goals are pursued through two-year grants made directly to early career artists and to organizations who develop, mentor, commission and/or premiere these artists.

Additionally, grants are made to select philanthropic and national service organizations for ongoing services, one-time convenings or research that will impact artists or the field of arts philanthropy. This strategy is realized through four discrete grant programs:

-The Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship Program

o Jerome Hill Artist Fellowships support Minnesota and New York City-based artists across 8 artistic fields who generate new work that takes creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with or re-imagining conventional artistic forms.

-The Minnesota and New York City Film, Video, and Digital Production Program o Production grants of up to $30,000 for all stages of production, supporting early career film, video and digital production directors. Directors must

reside in the five boroughs of New York City and work in the animation, documentary, experimental or narrative genres, or in any combination of these forms.

-The Arts Organization Grant Program

Two-year grants to organizations to support ongoing programs, services and activities for early career artists in Minnesota and New York City.

- Grants for Convenings, Research & Membership

Grants in this program promote field-building through convening and/or research that offers access to greater understanding, deeper information and shared learning, either for early career artists in Minnesota or New York City and the organizations who serve them or for grantmakers and foundations engaged in supporting the arts.

The governance, management, and direction of the Jerome Foundation are vested in the Board of Directors, elected by the Members of the Jerome Corporation, a small circle of individuals connected to the Hill family either by interest or by heritage who are charged with preserving the legacy of founder Jerome Hill.

Position Summary

The past several years have brought, among other phenomena, the long overdue reckoning around ongoing systemic racism, sparked in large part by the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, the COVID pandemic, deep political divisions, social unrest, election violence and new levels of ongoing disinformation. At this transformative time in our country’s history, the arts world stands at a critical juncture to provide the needed access, support, and platform for all voices – especially artists at early stages in their careers.

The new leader must be able to provide clear direction and bring humility, empathy, and a practiced ability to build a trusting, inclusive, and communal culture with staff and the constituents at large.

The new President & CEO will work inclusively with the Foundation staff, Board of Directors, Members of the Corporations, stakeholders, artists, and nonprofits to advance its legacy and lead the organization into the next chapter.

The President & CEO is responsible for the development and execution of strategy and the effective administration and oversight of all operations, endowment management and external affairs to achieve the long-term goals set in collaboration with the Board.

This new President & CEO will be deeply passionate about arts and mentorship and will be an inspiring people manager, culture builder, technical strategist, and partnership builder.

Success in this role will include:

-Providing inspirational leadership to the Foundation.

-Demonstrating visionary leadership internally and externally.

-Creating a collaborative force within the organization.

- Continuing to develop knowledge of the artistic landscape and how resources can be leveraged for organizations and artists.

- Building infrastructure for efficiency and effectiveness of current and future programs.

- Serving as a thought leader externally by building a reputation as someone people can trust and respect.

What You’ll Do

The Jerome Foundation seeks a leader with great passion for the mission of the Foundation and demonstrated leadership capacity. This individual will be an inclusive and thoughtful leader who embodies the organization’s values. In serving a diverse body of emerging artists, the leader will leverage financial fluency, people management, and relationship building skills to achieve the Foundation’s mission.

Specific responsibilities will include, but not limited to the following:

Leadership & Management

-Thoroughly understand the Jerome Foundation, its mission and policies, culture, values, history, key partners and stakeholders, programs, finances, and vital mission-oriented efforts.

- Manage and motivate staff to operationalize and execute the organization’s strategy and operations.

- Ensure that staff members are recruited, supported, and guided in their professional development.

- Promote a culture of high performance, excellence, high collaboration, and continuous improvement that values learning and commitment to quality.

-Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.

-Oversee the planning and budgeting process to maintain a strong financial basis for the organization, supporting both short-term and long-term needs and the objectives of the Foundation.

-Collaborate with the Members to ensure that the legacy of Jerome Hill is understood by the Board, staff, and community and reflected in the strategy and values of the Foundation.

Board Engagement

-Work in partnership with the Board, providing all key information regarding operations, programs, finances, and endowment management, effectively engaging the Board members to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies.

- Engage in contemplative discourse with the Board around emerging trends and cultivate an open, thoughtful, and collaborative partnership to define the Jerome Foundation’s ongoing vision and mission.

Relationship Building & External Affairs

- Develop, enrich, and sustain relationships with artists, institutions, and nonprofit organizations in the sector broadly.

-Serve as the official representative and primary external spokesperson of the Jerome Foundation within local and national settings.

- Provide executive leadership to all marketing and communications initiatives to ensure the organization is best positioned among key constituents.

Qualifications

Successful candidates will bring deep passion for the Jerome Foundation’s mission and vision. They will embody deep knowledge and love of the arts. The President & CEO will be a strong culture builder, stellar communicator, and a proven leader who will articulate an inclusive vision that others are excited to embrace and follow. Other desired qualifications and leadership characteristics include:

- A consensus-driven leadership style with a demonstrated ability to create, plan, share, and implement an organizational vision.

-A commitment and proven experience building a diverse and inclusive environment and experience in engaging collaboratively to reflect those values. • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.

-Keen ability to develop relationships with existing partners as well as new partners and underrepresented communities of artists.

-Fluency and understanding of philanthropy and its role in the arts community. • Sound business and financial acumen.

- Unquestionable ethics, integrity, transparency, and accountability in all actions. • A high degree of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, warmth, approachability, and humility.

-Diplomacy to reach common ground and build alliances without compromising the organization's interests.

Education And Experience

We welcome all candidates with the passion, professional experiences, values, and skills outlined in this position specification to apply.

Compensation

The target salary range for this position is $270,000 to $300,0000.

Applications/Nominations

The Jerome Foundation invites all nominations and applications for the position of President & CEO. Please send your resume to JeromeFoundation@kornferry.com.

Korn Ferry Contacts

Divina Gamble

Managing Partner, Washington DC

Global Nonprofit, Philanthropy & Social Enterprise Practice Leader

Telephone: (202) 955-0901

Email: divina.gamble@kornferry.com

Rosa Morris

Senior Client Partner

Global Education Practice & Global Nonprofit, Philanthropy & Social Enterprise Practice

Telephone: (202) 955-0952

Email: rosa.morris@kornferry.com

Angie VanGorder