Arts Consulting Group Assists Shakespeare Theatre Company with Executive Director Search
March 21, 2024 – Boston-based search firm Arts Consulting Group (ACG) has placed Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg as the new executive director of Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Washington, D.C. She succeeds Chris Jennings, who left STC this July after 19 years. Vice president Geoff Chang led the assignment. “Rebecca brings a wealth of experience to her new role at Shakespeare Theatre Company,” said Anita Antenucci, board chair. “After a broad national search, Rebecca stood out for her strong theatre acumen and the quality of her work with D.C. theatres that Washingtonians greatly admire. The board is eager to begin this new partnership with her.”
Arts Consulting Group led the nationwide, five-month search for a new executive director under the direction of Ms. Antenucci and the board. “Congratulations to the board and staff of Shakespeare Theatre Company on this exciting new chapter,” said Mr. Chang. “With her wealth of dedicated theater experience, deep Washington, D.C. connections, and passion for the arts, Rebecca is poised to lead Shakespeare Theatre Company to exciting new heights.”
Ms. Ende Lichtenberg joins Shakespeare Theatre Company from D.C.’s Studio Theatre since 2018, where she served as executive director and previously as managing director. During her tenure, she successfully led financial management, fundraising, marketing, and staff oversight. She also notably supervised a $20 million capital campaign and renovation. Ms. Ende Lichtenberg implemented a strategic planning process, focusing on restoring financial balance through a positive net season model, increased individual giving, and diversified revenue streams. Earlier in her career, she served as a managing director at Theatre J, where she maintained programmatic work and marketing initiatives. Ms. Ende Lichtenberg also held the role of director of earned income & communications at the Sitar Arts Center, managing earned income strategies and communications.
“I feel so fortunate to have been able to build a career in theatre leadership while staying in the D.C. community, which is one of the most vibrant in the country,” said Ms. Ende Lichtenberg. “I couldn’t be more excited to take this next step and join the Shakespeare Theatre Company as its executive director. I look forward to partnering with artistic director Simon Godwin and working with the passionate staff and dedicated board to redefine what it means to be a classic theatre company.”
Shakespeare Theatre Company has dedicated itself to being one of the nation’s premier classical theatres for over 35 years. It brings to life vibrant, groundbreaking, thought-provoking, and accessible theatre both written by and not written by Shakespeare. As of 2021, the theatre had a budget of approximately $20.2 million.
Seasoned Search Professionals
Arts Consulting Group provides interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement consulting, facilities and program planning, and organizational development services for the arts and culture industry. The firm has identified senior-level leaders for the Long Beach Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Chicago Opera, Stockton Symphony Association and Portland Baroque Orchestra, among others. The firm has offices in Boston; Calgary; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Halifax; Los Angeles; Nashville, TN; New York; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Tampa, FL; Toronto; and Washington, D.C.
President Bruce D. Thibodeau founded ACG in 1997 and has been part of numerous projects in all practice areas to grow institutional sustainability, advance the arts and culture sector, and enhance communities served by the industry. Dr. Thibodeau has guided hundreds of non-profit, university and government clients in achieving effective leadership transitions, planning cultural facilities, increasing revenues, developing dynamic institutional brands and messages, crafting strategic plans and business models, and revitalizing board governance practices.
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Mr. Chang joined ACG in 2020, bringing a rich background of experience within the arts and culture industries, specifically within the dance sector. Mr. Chang most recently served as general manager at the Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, New York, where he produced performances at many of the world’s leading cultural venues and arts festivals.
Arts Consulting Group recently assisted in the recruitment of Kayla G. Coleman as the new executive director of the New England Museum Association (NEMA). “The NEMA staff and board are thrilled to welcome Kayla Coleman as our new executive director,” said Raney Bench, NEMA board president. “Kayla’s passion for the arts, culture, and history sector is evident in her past work experience, and in the creative ways in which she approaches her work with museums. She is a powerful advocate for our field and in addressing historic and current inequity in the sector. Her leadership will guide the NEMA team as we begin the work of implementing our new values.”
Ms. Coleman is an art historian, curator, educator, writer, and public art advocate who specializes in modern and contemporary art by Black artists in the United States and the Caribbean. Her work is rooted in topics that include access, post-colonialism, gentrification, and the intersections of marginalization.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
