NJPAC Announces Senior Management Changes

In the most significant restructuring of executive management at New Jersey Performing Arts Center since his arrival in 2011, NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber announced a series of appointments to enhance the Arts Center's status as one of the country's leading performing arts centers, and a home to diverse programming and excellence in arts education.

Given the planned retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bobbie Arbesfeld, the forward-thinking changes are being put into action between the completion of a three-year strategic plan and the commencement of a five-year plan which will reassess and articulate NJPAC's mission and vision. This road map to the future signals an exciting time of growth and innovation for NJPAC.

"The business and the mission of the Arts Center demand an organizational structure that allow us the best chance to achieve our revenue and community service goals as effectively and efficiently as possible," Schreiber said. "This carefully considered refreshing of senior management roles and responsibilities has been designed to accomplish that."

Bobbie Arbesfeld, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, announced her retirement effective June 30, 2015. A resident of Gladstone, N.J., Arbesfeld arrived at NJPAC in 1999 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2006, and was appointed to her current position in 2008.

"Bobbie has been an indispensable architect of the high standards of professional excellence that have set NJPAC in the top rank of its peer institutions," Schreiber said. "Bobbie's management of Finance and IT, Governance, Human Resources, Operations and Real Estate has enabled those divisions to operate thoughtfully, successfully, humanely, and efficiently."

"It's been a privilege to engage with such supportive and generous leadership and a joy to work with such a creative and diverse team," Arbesfeld said.

In her place, two veteran NJPAC executives will share the title of Executive Vice President, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Executive Producer David Rodriguez will become Executive Vice President and Executive Producer. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Warren Tranquada will be named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

NJPAC has retained Janet Albert of Bridge Partners, LLC to launch a nationwide search for a new Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, whose responsibilities will include oversight of the Finance and IT departments. Until the announcement of that appointment, Tranquada's title will be Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Arbesfeld will then serve as Senior Advisor until her retirement in June.

The Vice President and CFO will report to Tranquada, as will the departments of Operations and Real Estate, Human Resources, Ticket Services and Special Events. Tranquada will continue to shepherd NJPAC's strategic planning and assist with governance matters.

In his new role, Rodriguez will continue to supervise Programming, Broadcast, Marketing, and Performance Rentals, and will add the Community Engagement and Production departments to his portfolio.

In other senior staff changes, Ross S. Richards, Vice President of Operations and Real Estate, was promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations and Real Estate. Richards joined NJPAC as Production Manager in 1997, just prior to the Arts Center's opening. He is a graduate of Ithaca College and received his master's degree in fine arts from the Yale School of Drama. Before arriving at NJPAC, Richards worked at New York City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and off-Broadway.