The Joffrey Ballet was founded in 1956 in NYC by Robert Joffrey. Born to Afghan and Italian parents in Seattle, Joffrey set out to create “a quintessentially American ballet company. Today, the Joffrey is known internationally, with a mission to promote dance through an unwavering commitment to high-quality performances, education, and innovation.
Despite Joffrey’s strong artistic reputation, by the mid-1990s, the company struggled financially in NYC’s crowded art scene. They were then approached by an unlikely savior, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. “The Mayor and local philanthropists believed growing the city’s arts community was key to revitalizing the downtown area,” said Cameron. “They had a great Symphony, but no ballet company. So, Daley rescued the Joffrey by bringing it to Chicago,” 30 years later, the Joffrey currently stands as the resident dance company of the historic Lyric Opera House.
The Joffrey benefited from continuity in its dance leadership. The current Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director, Ashley Wheater MBE, was with the company as Company Artist and is only the third Artistic Director in the Ballet’s 68-year history. However, the same is not true on the business side. Before Cameron arrived in 2013, the organization suffered from rapid turnover among executive directors and persistent operating deficits. In his 11 years at the helm, Cameron stabilized the Ballet’s finances, expanded the program, and more than doubled the size of the organization’s annual budget to $28 million while generating an operating surplus and garnering sufficiently generous support from board members and Chicago to establish an endowment.
The added resources also enabled the Joffrey toexpand its presence in the community, launching a new program to utilize dance and movement to support individuals with Parkinson’s. Named “Dancing with Parkinson’s,” the program proved to be a massive success with two sites across Chicago and a clear potential for growth.
The partnership that the Joffrey Ballet has forged with the Golub Capital Board Fellows program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management continues to be a critical part of strengthening the business side of the organization’s operations. It started fortuitously in 2019 when Cameron and the organization’s then-board chair, Zachary D. Lazar, were invited by a friend and Kellogg professor, Sophia Shaw, to guest lecture in her class. They discussed their successful shared leadership model and then answered questions from students. Among the questions were several from Isaac Todd, who had been matched with another nonprofit for his board fellowship. When his previous fellowship fell through, Sophia asked if the Joffrey could host him. Greg recalled, “When someone you know and trust asks you for a favor, you say ‘yes,’ and then figure out what you’ve agreed to.”
At first glance, Isaac didn’t appear to be a match for the Joffrey, as he was a military veteran in Kellogg’s JD/MBA program with no prior experience in dance. “He was very intense,” remembered Cameron. However, they identified an important project to develop the organization's first succession plan and found an ideal board mentor, James D. McDonough, a Northwestern Law alum on the Joffrey board. “It was a true gift,” said Cameron. “Isaac’s project is something we would not have been able to develop independently. At the time, we were still trying to sort through our financial issues and did not have the resources to hire external consultants. We actively use what Isaac developed as we plan to transition to a new board chair, and thanks to the fellowship, he became passionate about dance. When Isaac moved to New York after graduation, the Joffrey board gifted him a subscription to NYC Ballet.
Following the success of their initial match, the Joffrey continued to partner with Kellogg’s Board Fellows program. The timing of the project completed by their second fellow, Emma Rolfs, could not have been better. Working under the guidance of the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee Chair, Patrick M. Gallagher Jr., a leader at one of the largest international insurance companies, Emma conducted a comprehensive risk assessment for every department, including students in the dance school, visas, tours, and finance. She presented the highlights of her 40-page report to the board in January 2020.
“After, we thought we were ready for anything,” observed Cameron. “Unfortunately, planning for a global pandemic was not covered. But, because of last year, we focused on thinking about risk, and it helped us make key decisions quickly. It was central to our ability to deal with COVID successfully.”
Emma’s successor, Teresa Rodriguez ‘22, came to her fellowship with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and took on the assignment of supporting the development of the Joffrey first diversity strategy. Again, the timing was fortuitous. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, “Suddenly the topic (DEI) was everywhere,” said Cameron. “Teresa’s project and her new plan had everyone on the board and leadership team thinking about it. Our goal was to ‘Call people in, not call people out.’ This included a new Joffrey for All committee that seeks to foster diversity amongst dancers in race, age, and diversity of thought and opinion. It was another incredible project that has stuck with us.”
The next project, led by Nick Molcsan ’23, focused on identifying the best options for creating a fellowship or paid intern program. “We had tried different models in the past, none of which were very structured,” said Cameron. “Nick surveyed other arts organizations and peers around the US and helped identify an approach that could work for us.” Using Nick’s playbook, the Joffrey created a paid fellowship to help advance diverse candidates for the arts, targeting recent graduates. “He designed all aspects of the fellowship, including the next steps to help fellows advance in their careers,” said Cameron. The Joffrey has just hired the first intern, a graduate of Cornell, who Cameron describes as “a real superstar.”
This year’s fellow, Katherine Heinlen, ’24, recently presented her final report to the Executive Committee with guidance from Past Chair and Joffrey Life Director Ronald V. Waters III. Katherine conducted a dancer experience and competitive assessment for the Joffrey Academy of Dance. She aimed to understand the root causes of attrition facing the Academy via stakeholder interviews with various Academy parents, students, and instructors. Katherine identified strengths and gaps in the Academy’s program offerings and benchmarked against competitors. She then developed recommendations for growth and retention. "We are grateful to Katherine for the discerning way she conducted interviews with our Academy families," said Cameron.
The next fellow, Yvonne Wu, ’25, will focus on strategies to utilize artificial intelligence and improve the organization. She was keen to get a jump on her project, which she started early, and has already brought friends and family to a Joffrey performance. “I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven,” said Cameron. “She is smart as a tack, and her work could benefit us in all departments.” Another timely project, it seems, with other companies such as the San Francisco Ballet commissioning new works using AI.
Summarizing the fellows' impact on the organization, Board Chair Anne L. Kaplan said, “During my tenure as Board Chair, I have witnessed Joffrey's partnership with the Golub Capital Board Fellows program move our organization forward. Since starting their collaboration five years ago, each Kellogg School of Management MBA candidate has brought abundant knowledge to the Joffrey. From delving into big-picture projects to digging through the weeds, the robust and diverse range of contributions from the Fellows has proved integral to our strategic planning at every level.”
Nick Molcsan adds to the experience from the fellows’ perspective, saying, “The Joffrey Ballet is an integral part of Chicago's arts community. It was a privilege to learn from and collaborate with true leaders. While synonymous with the dancer's brilliance on stage, the commitment to this culture of excellence in all areas of the Joffrey struck me once I was invited behind the curtain. This culture is particularly evident in members of the board. Whether remote or in-person, Board Directors are well-prepared and highly engaged, ready to weigh in and roll their sleeves up as required.”
Isaac Todd, the Joffrey’s first fellow, concurred: “Board Fellows works so well because fellows take lessons from the classroom and immediately see those principles applied at their host organizations. My placement with a highly effective organization optimized this learning. Observing the Joffrey board showed me what “right” looks like, and it has been a model for good governance in my subsequent roles as an advisor and corporate secretary across nonprofit, community, and corporate boards.”
“The beauty of the Board Fellows program is the symbiotic relationship between the Fellows and their nonprofit partners,” says Allison Henry, Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Impact and Director of the Golub Capital Board Fellows program at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. “The students see what board governance looks like in practice, beyond what we discuss in the classroom. And in exchange for hosting this experiential learning opportunity, our nonprofit partners benefit from the students' skills, capacity, and enthusiasm.”
“In addition to their notable skills, each of our Fellows has been extremely generous and engaging,” Kaplan adds. “They are eager to learn about the art that we produce, the staff we employ, and the Directors who serve. I look forward to the strides we will make together for years to come.”
