Mark DeGarmo Dance Announces Leadership Transitions

Mark DeGarmo Dance is celebrating its 34th Anniversary in March 2021. MDD's Board of Directors has announced major leadership transitions as member Kathleen Kheel assumes the Board Presidency on March 1, 2021 and current Board President Lawrence Holodak, assumes the Vice Presidency after a decade's service to MDD's vision, mission, and programs. MDD's Board also announces new Board member Lyn DeSantis who joined on February 1 thanks to an invitation from Cause Strategy Partners' flagship program BoardLead for Mark DeGarmo Dance to join its national and New York cohorts of nonprofit organizations for Board leadership placement, development, and training.

Kathleen Kheel is the Director at Discovery Programs, an early childhood, and arts, and sports enrichment program on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Ms. Kheel earned a BA in Dance and Government from Connecticut College. Lawrence Holodak is a Managing Director in the Corporate Compliance Department at JP Morgan Chase. Lyn DeSantis, Partner, PwC brings to MDD's Board extensive corporate experience and a passion for developing women leadership, having led large teams and managed professional development for women at all levels. She credits her early dance experiences, such as those MDD provides under-resourced and disenfranchised NYC public elementary education students, for her professional accomplishments.

Also noteworthy across the arenas of not-for-profit, arts, and dance organization development, MDD recently launched a Board-driven self-analysis process facilitated by New York Council of Nonprofits. MDD secured NYCON's pro bono support because MDD is a recipient of competitive arts grants from New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The Board's self-analysis dovetails with launching MDD's Strategic Planning Task Force and Advisory Group.

These planning groups, convened by Dr. Mark B. DeGarmo, MDD's Founder, Executive & Artistic Director will examine the organization's opportunities, challenges, and future directions after over three decades achieving its tri-part mission, including Education, Performance and Intercultural Community. MDD's programs serve the City and State of New York, the USA, and global communities. The Task Force and its Advisory Group are in formation and seek nominations. They will make recommendations to the Board of Directors later this year via refreshed strategic, marketing, and business plans.

MDD is seeking nominations for its Board of Directors, as it moves from a 7- to an 11-member Board. Additional volunteer and leadership opportunities include serving on its Strategic Planning Task Force and Advisory Group, and on its Dance for Dance Co-Chair Committee. This year's Dance for Dance will be held on Thursday, April 29 via an online program that proved highly successful, innovative and fun in April 2020. Previous highlights of this annual community fundraising "Dance Party of the Year" include Miss America 2019, Nia Imani Franklin's appearance and endorsement of MDD; Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer designating November 17, 2017 "Mark DeGarmo Dance Day in Manhattan"; and President Barack Obama commending Mark DeGarmo Dance for "your service to your communities and the nation." See https://markdegarmodance.org for further information and how to nominate yourself or others for our teams. Contact us at search@markdegarmodance.org.