FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ZRG Aspen Leadership Group Launches the Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator for Arts and Cultural Organizations
A selective program fostering strategic alignment of board and executive leadership teams so their organizations move faster and with greater impact.
ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. — ZRG Aspen Leadership Group has launched the Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator (NLA), a selective, year-long learning experience designed for two-person leadership teams from arts and cultural organizations. Built for Board Chairs and Chief Executives as well as Development Chairs and Chief Development Officers, the program includes an in-person convening and ongoing guided sessions to strengthen leadership alignment at the top so organizations move with greater clarity, confidence, and momentum.
The launch comes at a consequential moment for arts and cultural institutions. As organizations face funding uncertainty, shifting audience expectations, and increased
pressure on leadership, alignment between boards and executives has become more critical than ever. When leaders at the top are aligned, organizations make better
decisions, move faster, and execute with greater discipline. When they are not, even strong organizations can lose momentum.
The Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator was developed to address that challenge directly. Through a selective cohort model, NLA brings together leadership teams for a year-long experience focused on strengthening board-executive partnership, clarifying governance, and turning shared priorities into action. Participants leave with practical tools they can use immediately, including frameworks for leadership alignment, governance decision-making, and strategic execution.
The program is backed by a distinguished advisory board of leaders from across the arts, culture, nonprofit, and academic sectors. Advisory board members include:
Michael J. Bobbitt, President & CEO, OPERA America
Khori Dastoor, President & CEO, Houston Grand Opera
Chris Denby, Founder & CEO, Advisory Board for the Arts
Afa S. Dworkin, President & Artistic Director, Sphinx Organization
Alan Fletcher, President & CEO, Aspen Music Festival and School
Robert Hurst, Former Board Chair, Whitney Museum, Aspen Music Festival and School, and Jewish Museum
Blake-Anthony Johnson, Former CEO, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Gabrielle Kurlander, Board Chair Elect, TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) and Founding CEO, All Stars Project, Inc.
Claire Liu, Senior Board Chair, Houston Grand Opera
Joseph Polisi, President Emeritus, Juilliard School
Laura Rose, Vice President for Development, The NY Historical
Michael Useem, Professor of Management Emeritus, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Sonia M. Winner, President & CEO, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Simon Woods, President & CEO, League of American Orchestras
“Lasting impact in mission-driven organizations begins with alignment at the top,” said Rosa Morris, Global Market Leader of ZRG’s Education, Nonprofit, and Social Impact
Group. “The Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator is designed to help leadership teams build the clarity, trust, and shared direction that allow organizations to move with greater confidence and turn ambition into action.”
“The partnership between board and executive leadership shapes what an organization can achieve,” said Ron Schiller, President of ZRG Aspen Leadership Group. “NLA
creates the structure for that partnership to become stronger, more aligned, and more effective over time. It is a meaningful investment in the health of the organization and the future impact of its mission.”
“I see the NLA as meeting a real and urgent need: it gives board and executive leaders the space and structure to align around what matters most, strengthen decision-making, and build a more durable future,” said Afa S. Dworkin, President & Artistic Director, Sphinx Organization.
“The Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator offers something both rare and necessary: a structured opportunity for board and executive teams to think together, learn together,
and lead together,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, President & CEO of OPERA America. “That kind of alignment is foundational to institutional health and future relevance.”
“When board-executive partnerships are aligned, organizations move with confidence and momentum,” said Michael Useem, Professor of Management Emeritus, Wharton
School, University of Pennsylvania. “The NLA is uniquely designed to create these outcomes.”
Organizations are encouraged to send both leadership pairs so governance and fundraising can move forward in concert. With intentionally small cohorts and a highly
curated peer experience, the Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator is designed for arts and cultural organizations navigating growth, complexity, or leadership transition and
seeking stronger leadership from the top down.
Learn more about the Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator at www.zrgpartners.com/nla.
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About ZRG
ZRG is a global talent advisory firm that is revolutionizing how companies hire and manage talent. With a data-driven approach to executive and professional search, ZRG
is changing the way clients think about finding top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvements to
deliver executive searches more quickly and with proven better results.
Backed by private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, ZRG is the fastest-growing firm in the search industry, offering a full suite of retained search, on-demand talent, and consulting and advisory solutions across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia.