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is an educator, facilitator and consultant. His specific expertise is in leadership education, visioning and strategy development for organizations.
Prior to the creation of Partners in Performance John was the founder and director of the Institute for Cultural Policy and Practice at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. The Institute developed the Community Arts Leadership Academy for Artserve Michigan; designed and facilitated the leadership development component of the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program of the League of American Orchestras; and developed leadership seminars for Dance/USA, Dance/NYC, Theatre Communications Group, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Additionally, John has served as a faculty member or speaker for the American Planning Association, Prairie Arts Leadership Institute, New York Alliance of Arts Organizations, and the Empire State Partnership for Arts Education. He is co-author of the Board Excellence Handbook, published by the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations; "Jomandi: People Gathered Together in Celebration" (FEDAPT, 1995), and "Beyond Survival, Devising Strategies in an Uncertain World" and "Leadership as Creativity", both published by the National Endowment for the Arts.
As co-founder of EmcArts, LLC with Richard Evans, McCann served as a member of the consulting team for a broad array of clients including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Arts International, and the 18th Street Arts Complex. He facilitated planning retreats and strategy development sessions for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, DC, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Washington Ballet, Dance Place, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), Maryland Citizens for the Arts, and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, McCann facilitated the focus groups designed to inform the creation of the Challenge America program.
McCann launched Partners in Performance in 2008. As President of the company, John serves as lead consultant on a variety of interesting and intriguing projects including the National Dance Heritage Leadership Forum for the Dance Heritage Coalition; the Governance Effectiveness Initiative for Chamber Music America; the National Trustee Forum for Opera America; and as facilitator for the visioning and strategy development for the Miami Residency of The Cleveland Orchestra. In 2010, John served as lead facilitator and faculty for the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute, a comprehensive leadership development program for the National Guild for Community Arts Education. His pro-bono work includes serving as a facilitator for the Louisiana Recovery and Rebuilding Conference (2005), Clinton Global Initiative (2006), National Performing Arts Convention (2008), and the Association of Arts Administration Educators (2009).
Current projects include the National Allaince for Musical Theatre, Chicago Opera Theatre, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Katherine Keefe
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is a consultant focusing on strategic planning and organizational development. Most recently, Katherine served as the Director of Human Resources at Arena Stage in Washington, DC where she handled recruitment, benefits and compensation, performance management, and employee relations.
Katherine’s consulting experience includes assisting Partners in Performance with recent planning projects for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and the Duluth Opera. She also worked with Stephen Richard and Associates on various planning projects.
Prior to her work in the arts, Katherine worked as a Recruitment Manager and Human Resources Generalist for Population Services International (PSI), a nonprofit social marketing organization, in the United States and Nepal.
She holds a Bachelor of Music from Marywood University and a Masters of Fine Arts in Arts Administration from Virginia Tech.
Catherine Maciariello
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served as program officer for the performing arts and senior adviser to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, from 1996-2007. She developed and managed the Foundation’s national grant programs in music, opera, theater, and dance. During her tenure, she distributed nearly $170 million in grants, including $20 million in emergency funds to New York arts and cultural organizations in the months following September 11, 2001.
Prior to her work in philanthropy, Cathy served as president of Meet the Composer, an organization that supports the creation of new musical works and their engagement with people and communities throughout the United States. She has been the executive director of three symphony orchestras and has written extensively on the challenges facing American symphony orchestras.
Cathy is currently principal of Creative Arts Consulting LLC (CAC), located near Naples, Italy. CAC is dedicated to fostering individual and institutional creativity and to assisting arts organizations develop creative responses to the challenges facing them.
Jessica Sizemore
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is the firm’s Partner Relations Coordinator. Her involvement with the arts began as a young child and she has explored the arts through dance training, choreography, instructing and judging color guard routines, playing the saxophone, participating in college theatre and coaching high school theatre students.
Jessica received her Bachelor of Arts in French from Hollins College (now Hollins University) in 1998. Prior to joining Partners in Performance, Jessica spent several years teaching French, and has also served in administrative capacities for Pulaski County Social Services.
Recently, Jessica was Project Coordinator for the National Dance Heritage Leadership Forum. She is currently designing and implementing the web-base portion of the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute, a project for the National Guild for Community Arts Education.
While having lived in France, North Carolina, and Georgia, she is a long time resident of the New River Valley and makes her home in Pulaski.
Jennifer Crickenberger
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is the firm’s Business Manager. Jennifer received a
Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining
Partners in Performance, Jennifer spent six years at home with her two young
sons. Previous to that she spent several years as Financial Manager for a
Web Development Company and was a Pension Administrator for a Benefits and
Insurance Company in Cumberland, MD. After living in New York, West
Virginia, Alabama, and Minnesota she has returned to the New River Valley area.
Team
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served as program officer for the performing arts and senior adviser to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, from 1996-2007. She developed and managed the Foundation’s national grant programs in music, opera, theater, and dance. During her tenure, she distributed nearly $170 million in grants, including $20 million in emergency funds to New York arts and cultural organizations in the months following September 11, 2001.