Northrop's Sarah Thompson Named for Leadership Development Institute

Northrop Concerts and Lectures External Relations Director Sarah Thompson Named as a 2010 Leadership Development Institute Participant by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) and the Research Center for Leadership in Action (RCLA)

Minneapolis, MN (06/08/10)- The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) and the Research Center for Leadership in Action (RCLA) at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, announced the 12 recipients selected for the inaugural class of the Leadership Development Institute (LDI), which includes Northrop Concerts and Lectures' External Relations Director, Sarah Thompson.

With the generous support of the American Express Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, this initiative will research and develop leadership competencies that will contribute to the future growth and sustainability of the presenting and touring field. Members of the LDI review panel selected a cadre of mid-level professionals who have demonstrated leadership in their organizations and a commitment to a career in the performing arts presenting and touring field. The program, which launched in January 2010 and will conclude in January 2012, is designed to accomplish the following primary objectives: 1) consolidate a leadership competency framework for the performing arts presenting field; 2) advance the leadership capacity among arts presenting professionals in at least one competency area each; and 3) produce a presenting leadership development white paper, online tools and other resources that embody a framework for the leadership demands and challenges in the presenting field today.

Sandra Gibson, President and CEO of APAP, noted: "This is a timely opportunity for us to
identify competencies and develop related resources that will expand the presenting field's
leadership capacity so it can meet the challenges of the 21st century."

The LDI inaugural class will meet as part of a four-part series, each over a two-day period
for the next several months. The sessions will be based upon the collaborative inquiry (CI)
research and learning technique in which a group of people use their own experience to
generate insights around an issue that is of burning concern to all of them. Each session will
be co-facilitated by Bethany Godsoe, RCLA executive director, and Theresa Holden, co-director,
Holden and Arts Associates.

2010 Leadership Development Institute Participants
Elizabeth Auer - University of Florida Performing Arts, Gainesville, FL
Kevin Boyer - The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia, WA
Joe Clifford - Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Sage Crump - South Arts, Atlanta, GA
Kaisha Johnson - Center for Traditional Music and Dance, New York, NY
Laura Kendall - Tri-C Presents/Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH
Cari McMahon - The Ross Ragland Theater & Cultural Center, Klamath Falls, OR
Jeffrey Parks - Washington Performing Arts Society, Washington, DC
Claire Rice - UMS (University Musical Society), Ann Arbor, MI
Paul Ternes - Omaha Performing Arts, Omaha, NE
Sarah Thompson - Northrop Concerts and Lectures, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Jack Wright - Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc., Boston, MA

About the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP)
Based in Washington,D.C., APAP is the national service and advocacy organization with nearly 2,000 members worldwide dedicated to bringing artists and audiences together. Our members represent the nation's leading performing arts centers, municipal and university performance facilities, nonprofit performing arts centers, culturally specific organizations, as well as artist agencies, managers, touring companies, and national consulting practices that serve the field, and a growing roster of self-presenting artists. As a leader in the field, APAP works to effect change through advocacy, professional development, resource sharing, and civic engagement.

About the Research Center for Leadership in Action (RCLA)
RCLA is committed to advancing breakthrough scholarship on leadership for the public good and to developing a deep and diverse pool of public service leaders. We offer customized research and programs that expand individuals' knowledge and skills and strengthen the organizations and systems in which they work. As the leadership center at NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, a nationally top-ranked school for public service, RCLA works across the diverse domains of public service, attending to both the individual and collective dimensions of leadership. Our greatest asset is our unique ability to partner with leaders to translate ideas into action, generating breakthroughs in both scholarship and practice.

Sarah M. Thompson Biography
Sarah Thompson joined Northrop Concerts and Lectures-the University of Minnesota's arts presenter-in November 2009 to lead the creation of Northrop's first advancement program. As External Relations Director, MS. Thompson is responsible for all fundraising and sponsorship initiatives as well as strategic positioning within the University and greater community.

From 2004-2009, MS. Thompson worked for Artspace Projects to aid in the creation of the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center. This new performing arts center in downtown Minneapolis will be a flagship for dance, home to more than 30 Minnesota arts organizations, and will serve as a statewide arts education resource when it opens in fall of 2011.

As Associate Director, MS. Thompson worked on all aspects of developing the Minnesota Shubert Center including building its annual fundraising program and national award-winning Arts Education and Technology Program. Under her leadership, annual fundraising doubled, the arts education program grew by 80%, and the Engaging Dance Audiences initiative of Dance/USA granted the Shubert $163,000 to create a consortium of dance companies working on collaborative audience engagement. Previously, as Associate Director of Development, MS. Thompson was responsible for capital campaign fundraising resulting in $2.9M in gifts.

Prior to joining the Shubert, MS. Thompson worked in the development office of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis leading telefundraising staff in a $500,000 annual fundraising goal.

In addition to her work at the Northrop, MS. Thompson is ARENA Dances Board Chair; Dance/USA Emerging Leaders Task Force Member; Leadership Twin Cities Steering Committee Member; Leadership Development Institute of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Class of 2010; Emerging Leadership Institute of APAP Class of 2009; and Leadership Twin Cities Class of 2008.

A graduate of the University of St.Thomas in St. Paul, MN, MS. Thompson received a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Writing Emphasis and Justice and Peace Studies.

About Northrop Concerts and Lectures
Northrop Concerts and Lectures, the University of Minnesota's arts presenter, is dedicated to advancing the education, research, and public engagement mission of the University through the pursuit of excellence and innovation in the performing arts, community engagement, and creative exchange. For more than 80 years, Northrop has been committed to presenting world-class artists in music, dance, and theater in ways that engage audiences and support exceptional teaching within the University and throughout the community. Northrop currently offers a major ballet and modern dance series; a jazz and music series; co-presentations with area arts organizations; and the Summer at Northrop concert series. To fulfill the University's public engagement and education mission, Northrop is dedicated to meaningful community outreach and access that expands opportunities for underserved audiences to connect to, understand, and appreciate the arts. northrop.umn.edu