It Takes a Hard-Working Executive Director

The top administrative executive is most commonly known as the executive director, but some orchestras use titles such as general manager or president instead.

Main Responsibilities: 
The executive director manages all of the organization’s human and financial resources in order to accomplish the orchestra’s mission. He or she performs and/or supervises all tasks necessary for the organization’s operations. The executive director also implements any policies that are set by the board of directors and reports to them regularly through the board’s president. The executive director is to administration as the music director is to artistic development. 

Purpose: 
The executive director must ensure that the organization is always operating within their financial scope, always developing quality musical output, and that it is always staying true to its community service and education mission. This is important in order to accept and solicit contributions from the public, due to its federal tax law requirement as a 501(c)(3) organization. This does not mean that the executive director must do all of these things alone. He or she usually simply overseas that these operations are being handled correctly.

Who is the CEO?

The Chief Executive Director is the chief spokesman of the organization; the sole individual who takes responsibility for either the success or failure of the organization. He or she carries the weight if the orchestra’s mission or financial goals are not met. The executive director is not always the CEO. This position is sometimes filled by the board president or less frequently, the music director. 

Specific job duties and responsibilities for the executive director are coming soon!