ARTSCORE - NORTH CAROLINA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COHORT

October 1, 2025
Greensboro Cultural Center
1-5pm

Led by Beth Yerxa and Hannah Grannemann, in this Session, cohort members will share where they are in their leadership journey, along with their challenges and their goals. Through exercises and discussions, we will drill down on the common issues facing new Executive Directors of arts organizations in North Carolina, begin to find alignments and resources in the group, and set our persona and cohort goals. This session will begin the process of the cohort bonding as a group and seed both learning and increased self-efficacy and accomplishment.
This Session will conclude with an open forum with local leaders - Local arts leaders will gather with the Cohort to share their views of working in the NC Arts sector and answer cohort questions about how they address these common issues.

November 19, 2025
Noon to 1:30pm
Zoom

With a panel of leaders from state and local arts agencies, a statewide literary support organization and statewide arts advocacy organization. new leaders will get the information they need to navigate the NC arts ecosystem. This will include a discussion of who gives out what types of grants to who, a review of statewide organizations and resources, and a review of potential local partners (arts councils, economic development, tourism, commerce, etc). 

Speakers: Vicki Vitiello, Nate McGaha, Rhonda Bellamy, Ed Southern

January 28, 2026, 10am to Noon
RTP, venue TBD
In-person/Zoom (Hybrid mtg)

Whether your organization is big or small, the Executive Director wears many hats - sometimes it feels like all the hats. While it is a position that can be very rewarding, it can also be overwhelming and sometimes lonely. In this session, Hannah Grannemann will break down the role, its challenges and discuss tools to get the work done, including addressing:

- What to do when everything feels urgent
- Time and task management tools and strategies
- How sharing leadership makes you, and your organization, stronger

Event: Attendees will be given the opportunity to attend Triangle ArtWorks annual SMASH! event the evening of Jan. 27. The only event of its kind in North Carolina, SMASH! brings together artists, funders, arts organization leaders, business resource providers and more for networking, connections and peer support.

Leader: Hannah Grannemann, UNCG

February 18, 2026, noon to 1:30pm
Zoom workshop

Strategic fundraising centers each organization’s mission to build a relationship-based, donor-centric plan that engages Board members and staff as partners in meeting objectives. Knowing the basics – and the interdependent roles and responsibilities of Board and staff – allows each organization to devise a plan that is uniquely theirs.

Leader: Maggie Clay Love, Maggie Clay Love Consulting

April 14, 2026, Noon to 1:30pm
Zoom workshop

We all need to be reminded, encouraged, and held accountable to being a 100X leader, equipped to do our job, and intentionally helping others to be successful in their responsibilities. This requires self-awareness, discipline, and accountability. This workshop will allow participants to survey their current leadership style, analyze how it shapes his/her leadership capacity to either flourish or flounder, in turn impacting the relationship with their board of directors.
In this workshop, we will identify multiple key factors in developing board champions:

• Define board of director best practices
• Discover how to create healthy expectations and establish mutual accountability
• Determine the tone and direction for engaged board leadership

Leader: Wendy F. Adams, Cultivate for Good

May 11, 2026, 3-5pm
In-person, Raleigh (venue TBD)
(Day before Arts Day)

To grow your impact, your arts organization needs funding, Board members, volunteers, community partners and more. As a leader, particularly a new leader, how do you manage this, while also working to fulfill your nonprofits Mission?

Followed by social event.

Leader: Hannah Grannemann, UNCG.