New ED for Doug Varone and Dancers
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
New ED for Doug Varone and Dancers
Doug Varone and Dancers
Welcomes New Executive Director Thomas Ward
New York, NY – Doug Varone and the Board of Directors of Doug Varone and Dancers (DOVA, Inc.) are pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Ward as Executive Director. Mr. Ward will permanently assume the position after Interim Executive Director Sarahbeth Grossman departs in July.
Artistic Director Doug Varone says of Mr. Ward, "I am thrilled to be working with Tom Ward as our new Executive Director. I have known Tom for several years, as he has been an active member of the dance community in various capacities. He has a great passion for the work and I am looking forward to having him as a colleague in our organization."
Carol K. Walker, Treasurer, joins Mr. Varone in expressing her enthusiasm for this new direction in leadership. “Tom Ward is just the Executive Director we were looking for.” she says, “We are so pleased to welcome him to the DOVA, Inc organization and look forward to an exciting, productive future with Tom at the helm joining artistic director Doug Varone. What a team!”
Board President Bob Sanders sees Mr. Ward’s appointment as perfect timing as well. "This is a daunting time for the Arts across the board, and dance companies are particularly hard hit.” Says Mr. Sanders, “The financial challenge requires a redoubling of efforts and demands the strongest possible relationship between the Artistic Director, the Executive, and the Board. Tom brings it all to the table…leadership, clarity, focus, experience. He's in tune with DOVA's history and shares Doug's vision. It's just a great match."
Mr. Ward joins Doug Varone and Dancers as Executive Director following a 20 year career working with dance, theater and music artists, nonprofit organizations and philanthropies in roles that have ranged from marketing strategy and business development to program management to fund raising and board development. Early on, in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio, he worked in junior positions at organizations including The Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Cain Park Theater, and in the programming department of Playhouse Square Center. From 1998 to 2003, he served as Executive Director of Dance Cleveland, and subsequently relocated to New York, where he continued his career in the arts, serving as agent and company manager for the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation from 2004-2008, and as Director of Development and Marketing for Lar Lubovitch Dance Company from 2008-2010. He has also managed special projects for independent artists including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Diamanda Galas and others. Mr. Ward was a 2002 Fellow at Stanford University Graduate School of Business’s Center for Social Innovation, and took part in the program’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts. In 2009, he earned his MBA in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Says Mr. Ward of his new position at the Company, "As a longtime fan of Doug Varone and his wonderful work, I could not be happier. I look forward to working with board and staff to meet the organizational challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to fortify and strengthen the organization's ability to properly support Doug's stunning artistry."
He will officially assume his position with Doug Varone and Dancers on July 5, 2010.
DOVA, Inc. exists to explore and advance Doug Varone’s particular creative vision – capturing through movement the nuance and truth of human interaction. The company shares its work and process through performance, education, and professional training.
Welcomes New Executive Director Thomas Ward
New York, NY – Doug Varone and the Board of Directors of Doug Varone and Dancers (DOVA, Inc.) are pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Ward as Executive Director. Mr. Ward will permanently assume the position after Interim Executive Director Sarahbeth Grossman departs in July.
Artistic Director Doug Varone says of Mr. Ward, "I am thrilled to be working with Tom Ward as our new Executive Director. I have known Tom for several years, as he has been an active member of the dance community in various capacities. He has a great passion for the work and I am looking forward to having him as a colleague in our organization."
Carol K. Walker, Treasurer, joins Mr. Varone in expressing her enthusiasm for this new direction in leadership. “Tom Ward is just the Executive Director we were looking for.” she says, “We are so pleased to welcome him to the DOVA, Inc organization and look forward to an exciting, productive future with Tom at the helm joining artistic director Doug Varone. What a team!”
Board President Bob Sanders sees Mr. Ward’s appointment as perfect timing as well. "This is a daunting time for the Arts across the board, and dance companies are particularly hard hit.” Says Mr. Sanders, “The financial challenge requires a redoubling of efforts and demands the strongest possible relationship between the Artistic Director, the Executive, and the Board. Tom brings it all to the table…leadership, clarity, focus, experience. He's in tune with DOVA's history and shares Doug's vision. It's just a great match."
Mr. Ward joins Doug Varone and Dancers as Executive Director following a 20 year career working with dance, theater and music artists, nonprofit organizations and philanthropies in roles that have ranged from marketing strategy and business development to program management to fund raising and board development. Early on, in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio, he worked in junior positions at organizations including The Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Cain Park Theater, and in the programming department of Playhouse Square Center. From 1998 to 2003, he served as Executive Director of Dance Cleveland, and subsequently relocated to New York, where he continued his career in the arts, serving as agent and company manager for the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation from 2004-2008, and as Director of Development and Marketing for Lar Lubovitch Dance Company from 2008-2010. He has also managed special projects for independent artists including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Diamanda Galas and others. Mr. Ward was a 2002 Fellow at Stanford University Graduate School of Business’s Center for Social Innovation, and took part in the program’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts. In 2009, he earned his MBA in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Says Mr. Ward of his new position at the Company, "As a longtime fan of Doug Varone and his wonderful work, I could not be happier. I look forward to working with board and staff to meet the organizational challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to fortify and strengthen the organization's ability to properly support Doug's stunning artistry."
He will officially assume his position with Doug Varone and Dancers on July 5, 2010.
DOVA, Inc. exists to explore and advance Doug Varone’s particular creative vision – capturing through movement the nuance and truth of human interaction. The company shares its work and process through performance, education, and professional training.
