Development NY

Lenore Eggleston

Director, Marketing and Development
Westchester Philharmonic
White Plains, New York
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Years in current position: 4
Years in the field: 10

Majors:
B.A. Dance and Psychology
M.A. Performing Arts Management

Additional Training:
Orchestra Leadership Academy courses in public relations
Various other League seminars and events

Career Path:
Development Assistant, Ballet Tech
Market and Development Associate, Kaufman Center (NYC)
Founder and Director, Evolution Dance Theater (Westchester, NY)

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
It is always a challenge to balance a small budget, limited resources, and a small staff. You always have to be willing to work at all levels—from envelope stuffing to donor solicitation. Struggling to find new and increased funding is a huge challenge, but often an interesting and rewarding process.

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
I have been a dancer my entire life and the arts have always been important to me. I have never been as concerned with the type of arts organization I work for as much as the challenge that a particular job position presents.

What were your first steps in your working career?
I took a winter internship with a dance company and a summer internship at a performing arts center during college. I was able to work in a variety of aspects within both companies and it gave me a better sense of what the field demands. I think this was a great way to get my feet wet and gave me solid experience for my resume before I began the job search.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
Get experience first to be sure this is the right industry for you.

Any other advice?
It’s a lot of work and takes a lot of passion, but is very rewarding.

W. Snyder

Corporate Relations and Foundation Giving Manager
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Syracuse, New York
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Time in current position: Few months
Time in the field: Few months

Majors:
Undergraduate: International Business, Human Resources, U.S. History 
Graduate: Public Relations, Communications

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
The Syracuse Symphony is a non-profit organization, thus the majority of the people you interact with on a daily basis are completely dedicated to the orchestra and to helping fulfill its mission. The orchestra is a great benefit to our community.

What advice would you offer to someone considering the orchestra field?
If you are considering working in the non-profit music field, the best advice I can give is to network with as many people as possible. Not only will this give you experience in talking to many different people with different careers and from different walks of life, it may help you to secure a job in the industry.