Lance Olson is a former performing arts center executive director with 35+ years of not-for-profit management experience.  He has operated, rejuvenated, reactivated, built or programmed 22+ performing arts venues, in markets ranging from greater New York to a 4,500-resident rural farm community.  He thrives on complexity, and seeks answers to the questions waiting to be asked. 

 

Olson retired in 2017 after five years as executive director of the Spruce Peak Arts Center Foundation in Stowe, Vermont, so that he could have a broader impact on the performing arts and preservation fields.  Prior to that he completed almost 20 years of work for Emerson College, building its presence in the downtown historic theatre district from one “grand dame” – proud, great bones, fraying around the edges – to ten state of the art venues, and served as the founding Associate Director of ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage.  He was the founding administrative director of Rutgers SummerFest, co-founded Jazz Fridays at Newark NJ Symphony Hall, and served as administrative director for Edward Villella’s Eglevsky Ballet.  Click for detailed resume. 

 

Olson’s Associates are an extensive network of executives and consultants.  After exploring your needs, Olson will help you identify others to most expertly address those needs – feasibility study teams, institutional visioning coaches, capital campaign organizers, executive search firms, and vendors for critical software and hardware. 

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Olson VT Artist Series | World Class Stages | Detailed Resume