Position Profile

Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) is in the midst of a transformational moment as an organization. After undergoing tremendous artistic and programmatic evolution in recent years, following the successful transition from a founding leader to the installation of Artistic Director Davis McCallum in 2014 and Managing Director Kendra Ekelund in 2022, HVS is in a place of great strength in terms of its mission, work, and leadership. At the same time, HVS (known as Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, until recently) has just broken ground on building a new permanent home in Garrison, NY, a LEED Platinum certified open-air theater, to be named the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center. The new theater will be located on 98-acres of land overlooking the Hudson River, conveyed to the organization by philanthropist and longtime conservationist, Christopher Davis, and providing the organization the opportunity to evolve from a seasonal festival to a cultural anchor for the Hudson Valley and an enduring destination for arts lovers nationally and globally. Now in the public and final phase of a triumphant $58 million capital campaign to complete this project, HVS is poised to assemble a stronger staff infrastructure, provide increased resources to artists, and elevate its presence with the local community and national theatre landscape.

To meet this moment and seize its many opportunities, HVS seeks a highly motivated, skilled, and experienced Director of Development to join the team and lead the organization’s fundraising efforts. They will work in close partnership with the Artistic Director, Managing Director, and an engaged and energized Board to expand development initiatives that support high artistic standards, foster strong connection to the community, and cultivate successful engagement of both loyal and burgeoning donors, funders, and audience members. The Director of Development oversees a full-time Development Manager. At this moment of institutional growth, HVS will also hire a Director of Marketing and Communications, who will be a key collaborative partner to the new Director of Development and leadership. Both leaders will have the rare opportunity to start their journey with the organization concurrently and thereby establish strategies and practices collectively from the outset. Together, as a team, they will find innovative ways to build on the organization’s beloved reputation, and to broaden and deepen its circle of supporters to best position the organization for long-term success.

HVS Mission: Rooted in the landscape of the Hudson Valley, with the plays of William

Shakespeare as our touchstone, HVS engages the widest possible audience in a

theatrical celebration of our shared humanity.

HVS Core Values: Excellence, Inclusion, Playfulness, Generosity, Sustainability

HVS Now: Located eighty minutes north of Manhattan, Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) is a professional non-profit theater company that presents a rotating repertory season of both Shakespeare and more contemporary plays and musicals in an open-air theater overlooking the Hudson River. Founded in 1987, HVS’s critically acclaimed body of work is forged from the most essential of elements – actors, audience, language, and landscape. The company’s spectacular 98-acre campus serves as a vibrant hub for the local community, a cultural and educational anchor for the region, and a national model for environmental sustainability in the performing arts. It encompasses publicly accessible spaces where visitors can picnic and walk, rehearsal studios and production shops where artists carry out creative work, and also houses a successful for-profit restaurant and event space, called The Garrison, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the non-profit theater company. After 38 years of performing in a seasonal tent, in the summer of 2026, HVS will welcome audiences to its first-ever permanent home – the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, designed by the celebrated architecture firm Studio Gang. Protected from the elements but open to the landscape, the Scripps Theater Center will be the first purpose-built LEED Platinum theater in the United States.

HVS History: HVS was founded by Melissa Stern and Terry O’Brien in September 1987 with an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Manitoga, home of industrial designer Russell Wright, in Garrison, NY. O’Brien led the theater for 27 years, directing more than 30 productions, and stepped down as Artistic Director in December 2013. After a nationwide search for his successor, HVS’s Board appointed Davis McCallum as Artistic Director in May 2014. Under McCallum’s leadership, HVS established HVStories, a multi-year exploration of the people, history, and culture of the Hudson Valley, and Full Circle, a community engagement program inspired by 2016’s citizen-driven production of Our Town. In 2017, HVS produced its first ever world premieres — Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice (a co-production with Primary Stages in New York) which went on to be one of the most-produced plays in the country, and Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will (produced in partnership with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts). Recent seasons have balanced bold productions of Shakespearean classics with contemporary plays by writers such as James Ijames, Anne Washburn, Madeline Sayet, Whitney White, and Heidi Armbruster. Over the last two seasons, HVS has continued to break ground with new world premiere productions Penelope, a musical re-imagining of The Odyssey; and Medea: Re-Versed, a brand-new hip-hop version of Euripides’ classic, written by Luis Quintero and co-produced with Red Bull Theater and Bedlam.

Critics from the New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal have applauded the clarity, energy, wit, and imagination of our productions, and the unique and playful nature of the actor-audience relationship under the tent. By reaching over 35,000 audience members and more than 15,000 students and educators annually, as well as transferring productions to other regional theaters, engaging our community through radically participatory art-making, and connecting with area schools through year-round education programming; the impacts of our work are broadly felt throughout the tri-state region.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare is located in Garrison, NY (a hamlet in the town of Philipstown), amidst the spectacular scenic beauty of the Hudson Highlands. Approximately 50 miles north of New York City, the theater is a 70-minute train ride to Grand Central Terminal and all of the city’s theatrical and cultural offerings. The gateway to the Hudson Valley, the Hudson Highlands region is distinguished by its dramatic landscapes, its long history of land conservation and environmentalism, and its own cultural vibrancy.

In addition to HVS, other local anchor arts organizations include Dia: Beacon, Maggazzino Italian Art, Jacob Burns Film Center, Storm King Art Center, Caramoor, and many more. A short drive from the theater are the towns of Peekskill, Cold Spring, and Beacon, which each have thriving downtowns, including thriving communities of local artists.

More resources about the Hudson Valley and local community:

Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce: https://www.coldspringnychamber.com/

Travel Hudson Valley: https://travelhudsonvalley.com/

The NY Times, Living in: Garrison, NY (2018): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/realestate/living-in-garrison-ny.html

The NY Times, Living in: Cold Spring, N.Y.: A Sylvan Village That Beckons City Commuters (2019):

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/realestate/cold-spring-ny-a-sylvan-village-that-beckons-city-commuters.html

Reporting jointly to the Managing Director and the Artistic Director, the Director of Development is a key member of HVS senior staff and works in close relationship with the HVS Board of Directors, and specifically, the Development and Nominating Committees. They will be responsible for articulating, planning, and overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive development plan for all sources of contributed revenue—from the board, individuals, as well as institutions, including foundation, corporate, and government funding—which currently delivers just over $1.5 million annually, but should be grown in the coming years to surpass $2 million to meet the organization’s strategic goals and operating needs. With the Managing and Artistic Directors, the Director of Development will act as a leader in the successful completion of the organization’s current capital and endowment campaign. They will be entering the organization at a time of great momentum in terms of donor development and must be ready to convert the new relationships cultivated during the campaign into long-standing deeply connected partnerships and ongoing annual support for HVS. The Director of Development has a direct report of Development Manager.

• Provide strategic and creative leadership in raising just over $2 million in annual contributed revenue through individual and board giving, foundation, government and corporate support, and special events

• Articulate and lead a clear annual development plan and incorporate departmental short and long-term goals, benchmarks that reflect growth, specific targets for various areas of giving, and other necessary objectives

• In collaboration with the Managing Director, set annual goals for each line of contributed revenue

• Oversee management of the department’s budget and the annual evaluation of the development department’s programs including cost benefit analysis

• Create a strong and compelling case for support each year, aligned with organizational goals, integrated into various communication platforms, and utilized by staff and Board

• Oversee the implementation and management of individual annual fund giving, including board gifts and the major gifts relationships (donors $1,500+), ensuring ongoing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

• Harness an active pipeline of major donor prospects and board prospects, including donors who generously participated in the capital campaign, to ensure that the organization builds on those newly formed relationships and stewards them into the future

• Review daily ticket buyers lists for on-site fundraising initiatives and maintain a presence at the theater tent greeting major donors during the summer season

• Oversee the planning and execution of the Gala in deep collaboration with the Development Manager, leadership, and the Board; and guide the Development Manager in the task of planning and completing an array of cultivation events for current and prospective donors

• Manage HVS’s institutional giving strategies, including the cultivation of institutional relationships, and oversee the workflow of the institutional grant applications and reports, collecting content from all departments and managing submissions

• Act as a leader, alongside the Artistic and Managing Directors, in the final phase of the capital campaign efforts, where approximately $8 million is yet to be raised

• Build ongoing relationships with Board members to further their engagement, solicit their annual gifts, confirm their Gala participation, and support them in their development of relationships for the organization

• Liaise with the Board Committees dedicated to all fundraising, Gala support, and Board recruitment, and build ongoing communications related to these efforts

• Prepare and present development reports at quarterly Board meetings to show progress towards goals

• In collaboration with the Managing Director and Board leadership, identify and recruit potential Board members and solidify the onboarding processes for new members

• Serve as an enthusiastic and visible spokesperson and ambassador for the organization

• Examine and improve systems that will aid development operations, including ongoing fundraising communications, prospect research, and gift acknowledgments, and processing

• Manage the hiring, onboarding, and performance review processes for all development team members

• Work in partnership with the Artistic Director and Marketing Director and other team members to promote the brand of the organization and continuously understand and improve the patron’s experience

• Understand and uplift HVS’s values and practices around equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability

• Proven experience and a successful track record of fundraising in the non-profit development sector, knowledge of theater or performing arts is a plus

• Knowledge of the arts and culture philanthropic community, familiarity with New York State and the Hudson Valley region is advantageous

• Ability to communicate ideas and plans with fellow staff and board members, then build consensus, and manage a project from start to finish

• Capacity to build external relationships with a wide range of supporters, and promote HVS’s mission with passion and commitment

• Familiarity with capital campaign processes and openness to work with and learn from an outside consultant

• Excellent organizational, written/oral communication, and interpersonal skills

• Experience planning and executing large-scale donor events (galas, etc.) and engaging a Board in the success of those events

• Strong understanding of how to best utilize a relational donor database and the ability to accurately analyze, interpret and take action on patron data

• Skill in both innovative and strategic thinking, excited to grasp the big picture, prioritize, and manage the workflow of projects, and collaborate with the team on the testing of ideas

• Enthusiastic and curious team member, eager to be an active and engaged leader within a dynamic theater company

• Appreciation for the beauty of the HVS environment and passion for sustainable practices

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you're returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

Please use your cover letter to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role.

The salary for this position is $100,000-120,000. Hudson Valley Shakespeare provides comprehensive benefits, including providing access to insurance (health, dental, vision, life, long and short-term disability upon eligibility); offers paid time off; and parking. Employees contribute to their health insurance coverage.

HVS offices are located within a renovated cottage on the organization’s new property, located at 2015 Route 9 in Garrison NY. Team members work onsite in the office four days of the week, with some flexibility as needed.

HVS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a culturally diverse and equitable environment, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color and women. Candidates from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Director of Development search is being conducted on behalf of Hudson Valley Shakespeare by Tom O’Connor Consulting Group, a New York-based executive search and consulting firm specializing in the arts and culture industries. The search is being led by Search Consultant Brenna Thomas, in consultation with and support from the TOCG search team.

To apply, visit the online application (https://tinyurl.com/34pe92pa) and submit your materials. Your cover letter should include any training or experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity, and anything else you’d like us to know about your qualifications that may not be present in your resume.

The priority application deadline for this search is November 21, 2024. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration. While we will still accept and consider applications after this date, we encourage you to apply as early as possible for the best chance at being considered for the position. Please note that meeting the priority deadline does not guarantee an interview.