Connecting the Dots: The Creation of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance

Tuesday, October 16, 9:30am – 11:00am

Organized by Paul Helfrich, president & CEO, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance; David Ramey, president, Strategic Leadership Associates, Inc.; Barbra Stonerock, director of community relations, The Dayton Foundation.

This panel discussion will explore the boundary-breaking merger of the Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Ballet, and Dayton Opera, a direct outcome of the Nonprofit Alliance Support Program (NASP) launched by The Dayton Foundation. NASP provided an innovative, multi-phase process that included opportunities for the organizations to evaluate their readiness to engage in some form of mission integration and a grant for consulting support. Upon receiving this grant, negotiations were undertaken to create a single management structure and shared artistic vision, which resulted in the newly formed Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. Attendees will hear an overview of the process that moved this dialogue from a conversation about greater collaboration in 2009 to the first U.S. arts merger of its kind three years later.