Cynthia Fuhrman Appointed Vice President, Executive Search at Tom O'Connor Consulting Group

Tom O'Connor, President of Tom O'Connor Consulting Group, LLC ("TOCG"), has announced that veteran arts leader Cynthia Fuhrman has been appointed Vice President, Executive Search following an extensive national search. Fuhrman, who is based in Portland, Oregon and is currently Managing Director of Portland Center Stage, will lead TOCG's growing Executive Search practice, exclusively serving the national arts and culture sectors. She joins TOCG on March 21, 2022.

Tom O'Connor Consulting Group is a NYC-based consultancy that supports arts institutions and leaders with two parallel services: organizational strategy and executive search. Originally founded in 2015 with a focus on marketing and audience development, the firm has since expanded its services to include strategic planning and organizational development, and executive search engagements across all aspects of arts and culture administration.

A tremendous expansion in Executive Search since 2019 has provided TOCG the opportunity to support myriad organizations in successfully identifying senior leaders who will deliver on their missions. Fuhrman will lead a team that includes Director of Search Operations & Community Jordan Sanford, in frequent collaboration with Senior Strategist Edie Demas. She will also be a valued thought partner to SVP Rani Haywood, who leads the firm's Strategy and Consulting division.

Fuhrman has been the Managing Director of Portland Center Stage since 2017 following tenures as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Marketing and Public Relations. She was previously COO of eyescream interactive and held Marketing and Public Relations roles with Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Cynthia was part of the team that brought OSF to Portland, where they would eventually be established as Portland Center Stage. She serves on the Board of Theatre Communications Group, the Save Our Stages Steering Committee, and was a founding member of the national Professional Non-Profit Theatre Coalition, formed as the COVID pandemic descended to form a strong lobbying collective for support for the arts during the crisis and beyond.

"Cynthia's experience in executive leadership, her longtime commitment to equity in the arts, and her national contributions to the advancement and resilience of our field make her the ideal person to join us and lead this division," said O'Connor in a message to clients. "I have long admired Cynthia's effectiveness, collegiality, and deep commitment to what the arts can do for and with communities-as well as her commitment to the community that exists among those who make their careers in the arts. She shares so many of our values and passions while bringing a wealth of new experiences and perspectives, and I couldn't be more thrilled to welcome her to our extraordinary team."

"My belief in the impact of the arts and the unique role we play in deepening connections and impacting change is something I've carried throughout my career," said Fuhrman. "Seeing how people have turned again and again to the arts to weather the isolation and frustrations of the pandemic, and how our sector responded in so many innovative ways to that need, inspired me anew to want to commit to strengthening our capacity to be both the solace providers and the change agents needed right now. Joining the Tom O'Connor Consulting Group gives me the chance to work with a fantastic group of strategists as we support our clients in their goals of building more equitable, responsive and sustainable organizations in service to their communities. I could not be more excited, and grateful for this moment of kismet."

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