09.22.2026

Help Shape the Future Leadership of Mass Cultural Council

Ché Anderson, Mass Cultural Council Chair

Leadership transitions are important moments for any organization. They are also an opportunity to listen, reflect, and think carefully about what comes next.

That is what we are doing at Mass Cultural Council.

Following Michael J. Bobbitt’s departure as Executive Director at the end of 2025, longtime Deputy Director Dave Slatery has ably served as Acting Executive Director, providing continuity for the Agency and the Commonwealth’s cultural sector. At the same time, my colleagues and I serving on the governing Council have been taking a deliberate look at the leadership needs of Mass Cultural Council, the staff team, and the sector as we prepare to identify and welcome our next Executive Director.

As Chair, I believe one of the Council’s most important responsibilities is to listen – not only to those working within the Agency, but to the artists, creative workers, cultural organizations, community leaders, partners, advocates, and others across Massachusetts who understand the opportunities and challenges facing our sector.

Over the past several months, the Council and its Search Task Force have been gathering perspectives from stakeholders, partners, and staff. We are using that input to help define the qualifications, experience, leadership capabilities, and characteristics that should guide our search and our evaluation of candidates.

Now, we want to hear from you.

We invite you to complete a short survey regarding your general perceptions of:

• Cultural sector challenges and partnerships the next Executive Director should prioritize.
• Professional background, experience, and leadership capabilities that should carry the greatest weight in evaluating candidates.
• Outcomes that should define success for the Agency, and the skills you believe will define a successful candidate.

Your response will help inform Search Task Force and governing Council as we develop the position description and evaluation criteria for the Executive Director search.

We are committed to a public, transparent, and inclusive process, and we want the voices of people from across the Commonwealth to help shape our understanding of what Mass Cultural Council needs from its next leader.

The survey will take approximately 6–10 minutes to complete and will close at 11:59pm on October 6, 2026.

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective. As a public agency, the future of Mass Cultural Council belongs to all of us who care about the Commonwealth’s cultural life, and your voice should be part of shaping it.

 

Complete the Survey