Introducing New Executive Leadership for The Listening
Earlier this summer, our Founding Executive Director, Nicholas Steven George, shared his plans to step down and resign from The Listening. During his resignation process, The Listening made the decision to shift to a shared management model, a divergence from the hierarchical model that has guided the organization since it’s beginning in 2013. This new leadership structure will feature two Co-Executive Directors who will step into this role, effective September 1, 2022. Board Co-Chair Keesha Burke-Henderson states, “The future of The Listening, Inc. is continuing the legacy of its founder through the reimagining of a shared organizational model. As we continue to serve our community, we are excited about this direction and the creative capable people who are invested in the vision.”
The Co-ED model has be utilized in various organizations, and The Listening looks forward to continued impact and growth as we step into this next chapter. We’re excited to welcome Angelina Randolph (she/her) as the Co-Executive DIrector of Operations and Outreach (DOO) and Keaira Reese (she/her) as the Co-Executive Director of Development and Programming (DDP).
The DOO role will be responsible for overall budget development, general operations and financial management of the organization and work collaboratively with the DDP to ensure the organization is achieving its overall goals and objectives. The DOO will also develop collaborative partnerships with organizations in similar spaces to achieve mutual goals and move strategies forward. The DDP will be primarily responsible for developing partnerships with funders and developing overall social, advocacy and programmatic strategies and ensuring the metrics necessary to accomplish the overall goals of the organization are being met. The DDP will work collaboratively with the DOO to ensure fundraising needs are clearly articulated and the budget is reflective of program needs and policy initiatives in any given year.
This Co-Executive Director model will allow The Listening the benefit of serving the opportunity from a healthier position of diversity, work-life balance, and demonstrating leadership with complimentary experiences. In this season of The Listening’s journey, we reflect on one of our values, which is community and hold the belief that our organization is committed to uplifting the voices and stories of people who are traditionally unheard. Shared management will allow our leaders to focus on their inherent strengths and lived experiences while building community with each other, as well as the team they will develop and lead.
As with all things, this new direction places our mission as our true north, increasing The Listening’s ability to look and sound more like the community we serve while engaging, changing and saving lives with the performing arts.
Thank you to everyone who has continued to support The Listening, and we remain excited about our next step. We’re on to something great.