about us
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
- Responsibilities
- Composition
- Meetings
- Members
- Nomination Submission Process
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
- Expand the continuum of professional development opportunities for emerging arts leaders at Americans for the Arts and in the field.
- Develop a strong national Emerging Leader Network.
- Impact the field through all of the Americans for the Arts strategic clusters.
- Further develop Emerging Leader Council governance.
Emerging Leader Council Member Responsibilities
- Provide visible leadership across ELC committees and activities, including conferences, convenings, website, and listserv.*
- Participate in quarterly full-Council conference calls, and one or two in-person meetings per year at emerging leader’s own expense. One in-person meeting is generally held in conjunction with the Americans for the Arts annual convention.
- Participate in at least one ELC committee and engage in committee conference calls at their own expense.
- Participate in Emerging Leader listserv and ELC e-mail dialogue on a consistent basis.
*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.).
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.
Emerging Leader Council Meetings
The ELC meets once or twice a year in person, generally in conjunction with the Americans for the Arts events, in addition to participating in quarterly conference calls. In 2008, the ELC will meet in person at the Winter Meetings, February 14–16 in El Paso, TX and at the Annual Convention, June 20–22 in Philadelphia. New council members will participate in new council orientation at the Winter Meeting. Additional meetings of the ELC and committees take place as needed via conference call or in local or regional convenings.
Emerging Leader Council Current Members
For a list of current Emerging Leader Council members and their bios, please visit the section Emerging Leader Council section of our website.
