TAUNY - News

TRADITIONAL ARTS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK (TAUNY) seeks a visionary and participatory executive director who, in collaboration with the Board of Directors, drives TAUNY’s institutional advancement to realize its mission and organizational vision. The executive director serves as the official public representative of TAUNY and focuses on growing community engagement; leads fundraising and revenue-generating activities; oversees TAUNY’s human resource management; and supports staff who lead operations in TAUNY’s programming, facility management, financial management, communication and technology and retail sales. The successful candidate will be an outgoing and energetic leader who embodies TAUNY’s values of professionalism, respect, integrity, excellence, commitment, and inclusion.

Several critical areas for growth were identified in a 2021 strategic planning process. It is expected that the executive director will make significant progress in the areas of increasing and diversifying revenue sources to ensure greater financial stability; expanding TAUNY’s reach and relevance in regional communities; actively working towards greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in staffing and programming; and enhancing governance and operations processes.

The benefits package includes medical, sick leave, and paid vacation. Starting salary for the executive director is $55,000-70,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelors degree or equivalent
5-10 years of experience in non-profit and/or for-profit management
Excellent writing, public speaking and other communication skills across multiple platforms/venues
Proven success in securing public and private funding through grants and annual giving efforts
Ability to lead institutional-level strategic planning
Demonstrated commitment to driving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
Experience in providing financial oversight of cash flow, expenditures, and accounts
Experience in hiring, overseeing, training, supervising, and evaluating staff
Proven track record of working collaboratively with staff, board members, and committee
Appreciation for folklore, folk studies, or regional studies

Preferred Qualifications:

Knowledge of the TAUNY service region and its cultures
Experience in retail operation management
Technological proficiency (point of sale, donor platforms, learning management systems, social media, etc.)

TAUNY is seeking candidates who possess professional and interpersonal skills sufficient to work effectively with an increasingly diverse array of community members and stakeholders and who have demonstrated a commitment to fostering and sustaining an inclusive environment in the workplace and beyond.

To apply, the candidate should submit a cover letter and resume / curriculum vita that includes three professional references to Alan Hersker, Search Committee chair, at searchcommittee@tauny.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

About TAUNY

Founded in 1986, TAUNY is the only organization in New York’s North Country dedicated to showcasing the folk culture and living traditions of the region. TAUNY serves the 14-county region north of the Mohawk River from Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River to Lake Champlain, including the Adirondack Mountains. In pursuit of its mission to explore, honor, and celebrate the diverse cultures, skills, and crafts of everyday life to bring people together across our region and beyond, TAUNY collects, preserves, interprets, and presents customs and traditions through programs, exhibits, and archives at The TAUNY Center in Canton and throughout the region.

Our diverse communities include Akwesasne Mohawk and dairy farmers as well as more recent arrivals such as North Country homesteaders and the Amish. We celebrate the living traditions inherited from the past, maintained in the present, and passed on to the future. Recent programming and exhibitions include Adirondack boats, folk art, barn quilts, fiber arts, heirloom instruments made and played by North County community members, home cooking, and the lived experiences of Jamaican farmworkers.

TAUNY is a registered 501(c)3 organization with 2023 operating budget of $1.1 million; approximately $400,000 of revenue is received from grants and other public and private funding organizations. Other significant sources of revenue include sales in the TAUNY Folkstore and annual giving. TAUNY staff includes 3 full time professionals, 6 part time staff, and a significant volunteer network.

About The TAUNY Center

Located at 53 Main Street in the heart of Canton, the TAUNY Center is the hub of TAUNY programming and activities. At 9000 square feet, The TAUNY Center houses several exhibit and program spaces, a commercial kitchen, the Folkstore, archives, and administrative offices. Located in the historic former J.J. Newberry building, the TAUNY Center was renovated in 2011 after a successful capital campaign that raised $1.2 million. It serves as an anchor for the downtown business, social, and cultural community.