Michael Kaiser, the president of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, is a prime example of a leader that utilizes cross-cultural communication, business skills, and knowledge of the arts. Kaiser coordinates all of the programming for the nation’s premiere performing arts center. “We attempt very challenging programming and surprising programming. And that programming is very broad and very diverse,” says Kaiser. In addition to his unending responsibilities at the Kennedy Center, Kaiser is considered the cultural ambassador for the State Department’s Cultural Connection Program. He has worked with arts leaders all over the country and in more than 70 nations to promote artistic planning and form cultural exchanges. And at the end of the day, Kaiser is a business man. Washingtonian calls Kaiser the “Turnaround Artist” for his ability to drastically enhance the status of struggling arts organizations. During Kaiser’s ten-year reign at the Kennedy Center, fundraising has more than doubled and the budget has increased by 60 percent. He also secured a $22.5 million grant to begin the DeVos Institute for Arts Management. Needless to say, his record is impressive. It is no wonder the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees chose to extend his contract by three years.
(All of the information in this post was from the Washingtonian article on Kaiser called Turnaround Artist. Be sure to check it out!)
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