I FEEL LIKE DR. PHIL UP HERE," MICHAEL Kaiser says, looking out at rows of arts administrators gathered at a Capitol Hill hotel to soak up the wisdom of the "Turnaround King."
The affable, soft-spoken, bespectacled man might not look like a dispenser of organizational tough love. But the president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a straight-shooting source of pointed advice on the volatile politics, finances and marketing needs of nonprofit arts groups.
To read Michael Kaiser's Strategic Planning in the Arts: A Practical Guide, go to artsmanager.org / strategic /
Michael Kaiser
Born:
Oct. 27, 1953, New York City
Degrees:
B.A. in economics, Brandeis University; M.A. in management, MIT
Current job:
President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, since 2001
Previous arts executive posts:
Royal Opera House (1998-2000), American Ballet Theatre (1995-98), Alvin Ailey Dance Theater (1991-93), Pierpont Morgan Library (1987-90), Kansas City Ballet (1985-86).
Mantra:
Great art, well marketed