SMPAC engaged Fio Partners following the resignation of its Executive Director during an active performance season—a moment that required immediate continuity and long-term strategic clarity. While the need to hire a new leader was urgent, the Board recognized that a rushed process could limit the organization’s ability to grow effectively in the years ahead. At the time of the transition, SMPAC faced several intersecting realities:
- Its strategic plan was ready to be refreshed, with some priorities recently revisited by the Board
- A major capital and facilities expansion was on the horizon through the “Next Act” project
- There were increasing capacity demands related to fundraising, marketing, sponsorship, and staffing, and
- A desire to strengthen Board alignment and governance during a pivotal leadership change.
Rather than treating the search as a transactional hire, SMPAC sought a partner who could help the organization use the executive transition as a strategic inflection point.
Fio Partners supported SMPAC through an informed, strategic, structured, and equitable executive search and transition engagement, designed to balance rigor with the realities of timing and organizational capacity.
The work began with an intentional pre-search phase, grounded in listening and analysis. This included staff interviews and a board survey, a multi-year review of financial trends, and an organizational management assessment.
Together, these inputs clarified SMPAC’s strategic priorities, surfaced organizational pressure points, and built shared understanding among Board members, creating a strong foundation for the search itself.
With this clarity in place, Fio worked closely with the Search Committee to:
- Develop a tailored position profile aligned with SMPAC’s future direction
- Establish a competitive, benchmark-informed compensation range
- Employ a multi-channel candidate research and recruitment strategy, using market mapping, targeted outreach, and inclusive posting practices to build a diverse candidate pipeline and engage prospective leaders
- Facilitate a fair and equitable candidate assessment process, balancing competencies, experience, and organizational fit.
Recognizing that leadership change affects the entire organization, Fio also provided executive transition support alongside the search. Deliverables included customized onboarding tools, performance evaluation criteria, relationship mapping, and a Year One Action Plan to support both the incoming Executive Director and the Board during the transition period.
SMPAC emerged from the process with renewed clarity, a strengthened governance perspective, and a leader uniquely equipped to advance its artistic vision, community impact, and long-term sustainability at a critical moment of change.
Key outcomes included:
- A confident, well-aligned Board decision supported by clear criteria and shared understanding
- A smooth transition to a new Executive Director with strong arts management and development experience, as well as deep local ties and an authentic love of musical theater
- Clear expectations for executive leadership, supported by customized onboarding, performance evaluation, and compensation tools
- Improved Board readiness to support organizational growth, accountability, and long-term sustainability
By pairing a rigorous search process with intentional transition planning, SMPAC was positioned to support its new leader’s success from day one.
