Board Fellowship

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In 2012, USITT’s Secretary, Sherry Wagner-Henry, conceived and launched the USITT Board Mentorship Program. With feedback from former participants, and renamed in her honor, the program has refocused to become a flexible, 12-18-month long Fellowship with particular emphasis on finding the future leaders of USITT and investing in their growth. This opportunity serves as a bridge to connect emerging professionals with current leaders in the theatre and entertainment industry, as well as an opportunity to learn new skills that will help the Fellow develop valuable expertise on their journey to nonprofit leadership. This opportunity is best suited for members with 2-5 years of professional experience but could be a valuable addition to graduate level study for the right individual. This Fellowship will provide an open door to the Executive Director and board members of USITT, as well as, positions on Committees and a greater understanding of nonprofit governance structures.

 

 

 

The program includes:

  • Access to board information and privileges (Basecamp, board documents of USITT)
  • Participation in electronic board meetings and two face‐to‐face board meetings
  • Travel and accommodations to the Annual Conference & Stage Expo, March 5-8, 2025, in Columbus, OH
  • Travel and accommodations to the Annual Retreat (August 2025)
  • Travel and accommodations to the Annual Conference & Stage Expo, March 2026, in Long Beach, CA

    • Total estimated value of board mentorship package: $3,000‐$3,500.

 
 
 

Applicants must be a member in good standing of USITT

Applicants must demonstrate recent/current service to USITT, such as participation in conferences, Student Chapters, Regional Sections, Committees, Commissions, other USITT mentorship programs, etc.

 
 
 
 

Applications Open: August 19, 2024

Applications Close: November 14, 2024 (11:59 PM EDT)

Review Period: November 2024

Selection Notifications: December 2024

 
   
 
 

Read all guidelines carefully before submitting your application.

All applications must be submitted via the USITT Submission Portal to be considered.

Applicants will be asked to answer the following questions:

  • What do you hope to gain from this opportunity? (350 Words)
  • What do you hope to contribute to this opportunity? (350 Words)
  • What contributions have you made to USITT? (350 Words)

Required information:

  • Contact information
  • USITT Member Number
    • Applicant’s member number (also called your Customer ID) can be found by logging into the USITT website and navigating to your Member Profile
  • Where the applicant attends(ed) university, college, or post‐secondary school, if attended
  • Area of concentration
  • Acknowledgement of commitment to the Mentorship, should they be selected
  • Resume Upload (PDF format)
  • A letter of recommendation from a faculty/staff member in applicant’s current university program or a professional colleague/supervisor, who can speak to their leadership abilities and how they see this opportunity benefitting their career aspirations.
    • Applicant will provide recommender’s name and email address. The recommender will receive instructions via email to upload their letter directly into the submission portal. Applicant will not be able to upload or view the letter.
  • Headshot and Bio
    • Applicant’s headshot and bio will NOT be visible to the application reviewers and will only be used in publicity should they be selected to the program.
 
   
 
 

All USITT program applicants are required to submit a Professional Conduct Disclosure Form. This form will not be visible to the award jury and will only be reviewed by the USITT Ethics Officer.

This form is part of the submission and your submission will not be considered complete if it has not been submitted.

For more information, please review the USITT Honors and Awards Policy.

 
   
 
 

All applications for the Board Fellowship program will be reviewed by selected members of the USITT Board Fellowship Committee.

No current USITT staff member may serve as a reviewer. Any reviewer with a conflict of interest is required to recuse themselves.

Five candidates will be selected as finalists.

Finalists will interview with selection panel on Zoom in late November/early December.

The selected Fellows will be asked to commit to the meeting schedule below to the best of their ability. USITT is committed to investing in future leaders and completely open availability is not required.

 
   
 
 

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application via email.

Submitted bio and headshots will be used by USITT to announce and publicize the selected Board Fellows. All materials submitted will be retained by USITT.

 
   
 
 

Times are subject to change and applicants do not need to be available for all meetings listed, however, this is representational of 18-months.

  • Early to mid‐January 2025, at 1:30pm EST (E‐Board meeting)
  • March 2025, Annual Conference & Stage Expo, Columbus (meeting times and travel days TBA)
  • May 2025, at 1:30pm EST (E‐Board meeting)
  • August 2025, Annual BOD Retreat (location and dates TBA)
  • November 2025, at 1:30pm EST (E‐Board meeting)
  • Early to mid‐January 2026, at 1:30pm EST (E‐Board meeting)
  • March 2026, at the Annual Conference & Stage Expo, in Long Beach, arriving in time for PRE-CONFERENCE meetings which are TBA
  • May 2026 (E-Board meeting)