Fine Arts chooses well with new CEO

Think for a moment about how many people over the past 60 years have learned or participated in different types of performing or visual arts at the Fine Arts Association in Willoughby. That number would likely be in the territory of many thousands.

On the other hand, it’s much easier to enumerate how many CEOs have headed Fine Arts Association in six decades: The answer is five.

Fine Arts Association’s newest CEO, John Shepard, began his duties about two weeks ago. He succeeds Linda Wise, who recently retired after leading Fine Arts for 10 years.

We believe Shepard is an excellent choice to lead Fine Arts for a variety of reasons.

Shepard brings a strong professional background to Fine Arts. He spent the past five years as superintendent of Painesville Schools, from where he recently retired to wrap up a 32-year career in public education.

As Painesville Schools superintendent, he was responsible for all day-to-day operations and long-range planning for the district. He worked with schools in the areas of curriculum and instruction, staff development, data analysis, continuous improvement and strategic planning, according to a news release in November announcing his hiring as Fine Arts CEO.

Clearly, he possesses the administrative background that is needed to lead an organization that serves the public.

As school superintendent, he also gained experience at working with a school board and other constituencies such as students, parents and teachers.

Shepard also impresses us as the type of leader who will connect well with the community, judging by his membership on the board of directors for both Downtown Painesville Organization and Lifeline, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, and serving as past president of the Painesville Rotary.

Regarding his own assessment of the difference between a school superintendent and CEO, Shepard said, “People come to Fine Arts because they want to come to Fine Arts, whereas K–12 education, it’s compulsory,” he said in a recent News-Herald story. “There are some folks who don’t want to be there. This has been a blessing, though. I’m excited because I am able to help through teaching and I have the opportunity and the expertise coming from the public sector.”

In that same story, we also noticed how Shepard expressed a sense of appreciation and respect for the history of the organization for which he’s taken the reins.

“I’ve met several instructors since my first day and the one with the least amount of experience has 42 years teaching in the music program, only junior to a piano instructor who has over 50 years teaching here.

“That tells you the long history that this institution has in our community imparting the arts to all. It’s one destination, all people, every art. That’s one of the things we pride ourselves on.”

Finally, we’re also impressed with Shepard’s approach to ushering in a new era of leadership at the Fine Arts Association. He’s eager to take Fine Arts into the future while also preserving its rich past.

“I feel the obligation for me is to fulfill that dream and that vision the Savages (founders Jim and Louise) had for teaching the arts to our community,” Shepard said.

In the midst of carrying on that tradition, Shepard is determined to grow and strengthen Fine Arts programs.

“We have expanded our services beyond the borders of Lake County and we’re excited to continue to provide programming for our students not only here at the facility, but also off-site.”

The school’s recent expansion will allow just that, with new dance studios and other multipurpose rooms set to serve in an expanded capacity. Having finished the capital building project, Fine Arts Association, under Shepard’s leadership, will seek to add course offerings and programming not currently available.

“We are always looking for fresh ideas,” Shepard said. “We are particularly challenged to come up with a new strategic plan in the next year. We have some plans coming up and we’ll be working with our board of directors to address those plans.”

We wish Shepard well as he embarks on playing a major role at the Fine Arts Association — not as a thespian, musician or dancer — but one who will be a driving force in determining the future program offerings, operations and direction of Fine Arts.

Time will tell, but we’re optimistic that someday when Shepard closes his career at the Fine Arts Association, we will be able to look back and say that he performed well.