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Emerging Leader Council

Annual Elections Information

The Emerging Leaders Council (ELC) is an elected advisory body to Americans for the Arts and assists with developing programs and resources to promote the growth, development, and sustenance of emerging arts professionals nationwide. ELC members are provided with singular professional development opportunities to engage in the field on the national level; build new and dynamic relationships with colleagues; learn firsthand about new programs, resources, and tools from Americans for the Arts; design and implement programs for their peers; and be recognized on the Americans for the Arts website.

• Vision, Mission, and Goals
• Job Description, Responsibilities, Qualifications
• How to Apply
• Council Operating Procedures
• Council Composition
• Current Members

Emerging Leader Council Vision, Mission, and Goals

• Emerging Leader Council Vision Statement
  The Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader Council strives to ensure a bright and democratic future for the arts in America.
• Emerging Leader Council Mission Statement
  To advise in the implementation of programs and development of organizational vision that engages, develops, and sustains emerging arts professionals nationwide.
• Emerging Leader Council Goals 
  • Strengthen an Informed Leadership: Expand, publicize, and increase access to professional development opportunities for emerging arts leaders.
  • Increase Resources and Meaningful Policies for the Arts: Develop a strong national Emerging Leaders Network and support the creation of well-connected, regional chapters. 
  • Advance the Value Proposition for the Arts: Recognize, promote, and build awareness of the value of the arts and arts education by leveraging the skills and resources of the Emerging Leaders Network. 

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Emerging Leader Council Member Job Description

Member, Emerging Leader Council

The Emerging Leader Council (ELC) is an advisory body of Americans for the Arts, which guides programs and organizational vision to engage, develop, and sustain emerging arts professionals nationwide.  ELC members provide visible leadership through Americans for the Arts’s national convenings and networking activities and through regional emerging leader networks. Responsibilities include: (1) Attend up to two in-person meetings per year at the individual’s own expense, including one meeting at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention, (2) Attend regular, full-council conference calls, (3) Actively participate in at least one ELC committee, including conference calls and workplan tasks in addition to full-council meetings, (4) Host and/or participate in a regional Creative Conversation each October.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible leadership on behalf of Americans for the Arts to emerging leaders across the field by:
  • Participating consistently in Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader activities, including convention, conferences, Creative Conversations and online networking activities. 
  • Connecting with regional emerging leader networks to provide leadership at the local level. 
• Engage actively in ELC tasks, meetings and committee work, including:
  • Regular, full-council conference calls
  • Up to two in-person meetings per year at the emerging leader's own expense. One meeting is generally held in conjunction with the Americans for the Art Annual Convention
  • At least one ELC committee, including committee conference calls in addition to full-council meetings. 

Qualifications (at the time of election)

• Must be employed in the arts administration and/or culture field (nonprofit, for-profit, consultant, etc.) and remain in the field throughout the ELC tenure.
• Must have less than five years experience in the field of arts management or be 35 years of age or younger.
• Must be a professional member of Americans for the Arts, either as an individual or an employee of a member organization, and maintain membership throughout the ELC tenure.
• Must be willing to commit to a three-year term, including all duties and meetings outline above.

*It is strongly encouraged that nominees discuss the responsibilities of holding this council position with employers, as it involves committing time and financial resources (in the form of conference calls, travel, etc.).

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How to Apply

To nominate yourself or a colleague, please submit the following materials by e-mail to membership@artsusa.org by 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 2, 2009. Please type the name of the council to which you are nominating in the subject line of your email to ensure it is reviewed.

• Nomination Form
• 250-word biographical statement, to be included in the Nomination Form (text beyond 250 words will be deleted)
• One-page letter of interest
• One-page resume (additional pages will be deleted)
• Headshot (300 dpi minimum quality for web and possible print use)

Nominations will be reviewed by the ELC Governance Committee. If nominees are advanced to the ballot, the letter of interest, headshot, and bio will be displayed in the online ballot for field-wide voting. If you have any questions, please contact membership@artsusa.org and type the name of the council in which you are interested in the subject line of your e-mail.

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Emerging Leader Council Composition

• The ELC will consist of not more than 18 and not less than nine individuals nominated and elected by current Americans for the Arts professional members.
• ELC members serve three-year terms, renewable one time.
• ELC applicants must be professional members of Americans for the Arts, as either individuals or employees of a member organization, and maintain their membership throughout the course of their tenure on the ELC.
• ELC members must be emerging arts leaders at the time of their election to the council. Americans for the Arts defines emerging leaders as those with five years or less of experience in the field of arts management, or those who are 35 years of age or younger. 
• In order to adequately represent the constituents of the Emerging Leader Network, ELC members must be working in the arts administration and/or culture field (nonprofit, for-profit, consultant, etc.) at the time of their election to the council and must stay in this field throughout their tenure. Should an ELC member take a position outside of the arts and/or culture fields, s/he will be asked to resign from the ELC at the end of that calendar year. 
  • Applications for the Emerging Leader Council will be reviewed annually on a case by case basis by the ELC Governance Committee
• The ELC will include a cross-section of members representing a diverse range of age, gender, ethnicity, geographical area, and level of experience in the field.
• Americans for the Arts members who apply but are not elected to the council may be invited to serve on one or more of the four standing committees (listed below), not including the Governance Committee. These invitations come soon after annual elections and are decided upon by the committee chairs.

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