GENERAL MANAGER

Central Florida Cultural Endeavors,
12 February 2002, USA

Central Florida Cultural Endeavors, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1974, is also home to the biennial Florida International Festival, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra. Under its corporate name CFCE presents a short "Winter Season" of five chamber programs with world-class artists and other projects during the traditional season. The Festival offers some eighty events in a seventeen-day period in July or August of the odd-numbered years. In addition to the seven concerts by the London Symphony Orchestra (five classical, the Pops and a family concert), the Festival features dance, jazz, pops, chamber music, pre-concert talks, master classes, outreach programs, etc. Winter programs are given primarily in area churches and small performing arts centers. Festival performance sites include these plus the 2,500 seat Peabody Auditorium, the 8,500 seat Ocean Center, the 650 seat Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center and many others throughout Volusia County and into Flagler County. Attendance at all Festival events exceeds 40,000. Central Florida Cultural Endeavors, Inc. is governed by a small Board of Directors and enjoys a close relationship with The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the only family owned daily newspaper remaining in Florida. The Florida International Festival is a project of CFCE with its own Board of Directors of about fifty-five representing a broad spectrum of the corporate, social, educational and civic leadership of Volusia County. While the Festival Board does not bear legal responsibility for operations, which remains with the CFCE Board, it does assume substantial responsibility in the areas of fund-raising, community relations, marketing, etc. through an extensive and active Committee structure. Operations of the two entities are integrated through a single staff, but expenses are assigned to the two operational entities. CFCE operates on an annual budget of approximately $200,000, while the 2001 Festival had a two-year budget in excess of $2.5 million. The Festival had a small deficit in 2001 - its first in a decade- but surplus funds and cash reserves are available. A permanent staff of approximately six full-time people expands to more than sixty temporary and/or part-time employees during the Festival itself. Although CFCE and the Festival are small in terms of staffing and financial resources, both entities operate at sophisticated levels presenting artists and programs of the highest international standards. Additional information on current programs is available on the web site http://www.fif-lso.org/ The Position The General Manager is the chief executive officer of Central Florida Cultural Endeavors, Inc. and the Florida International Festival and reports to the President of CFCE/Festival Founder and Director and - through him/her - to the Chairman of the Board of the Festival. The position works with both Boards to ensure that their missions are achieved and that the organization''s artistic, financial, educational, and community service goals are met. S/he manages the human and financial resources of the organization and is responsible and accountable for all aspects of their operations and administration, including planning, programming, production, financial management, fund raising, marketing, public relations, and community relations and for implementing policies established by both Boards. S/he must ensure that proper procedures are followed in the areas of contracting, box office, grant applications and reporting, and bookkeeping. The General Manager implements and manages personnel policies and oversees annual evaluations and reviews. Because the organization must necessarily work with a small professional staff, a broad range of abilities is required in the individual both as supervisor and as a hands-on skilled operative. The General Manager, as Artistic Coordinator, provides vision and priorities for the organizations'' schedules or performances and educational activities in consultation with the CFCE President/Festival Founder and Director. S/he assembles a team that provides a thorough knowledge of artists, ensembles, and repertoire in all aspects of all the performing arts, and positive working relationship with those who manage and represent artists and ensembles. In particular a strong and positive working relationship with the management of the London Symphony Orchestra is crucial to the success of the position. The General Manager provides leadership to all fund raising and marketing efforts, serves as chief spokesperson and represents CFCE and the Festival throughout the wider community and beyond. The individual is charged with maintaining the high ethical standards of the institution and a strong collaborative relationship with many other civic, political, artistic and community organizations. Candidate Profile The ideal candidate will be a proven leader who combines a thorough knowledge and understanding of the performing arts with a strong record of success I programming, audience development, marketing, and fund raising. S/he will have a broad a compelling view of the future of the performing arts and will be able to communicate that vision to the community at large through excellent written and verbal skills. The successful candidate will have a history of achievement in presenting the performing arts and will be at home working with artists and ensembles in the fields of classical music, modern and traditional dance, jazz, world music and contemporary serious and popular music and performance art at the international level. In particular, the position requires personal familiarity and experience in programming the "classical" concert repertoire of the last five hundred years for all manner of soloists and ensembles, ranging from small chamber ensembles to symphony orchestra, opera and chorus. Comparable experience in theatrical production, stagecraft and concert operations are required. The successful candidate will be an experienced executive with excellent planning, organizational, communications, supervisory, financial and management skills. S/he will be a person of high energy, will have at least five years'' senior executive experience, and will be a person of integrity, maturity, sound judgment and good humor. Compensation Compensation will be competitive in this geographic market and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Applications