The Board of Directors of the Helena Symphony is proud to announce the appointment of Pat Callbeck Harper as Interim Executive Director. “We are please to have someone like Pat Harper who will help prepare out organization for a permanent Executive Director,” said the newly elected President and Board Chair Barb Howe. “The national search for an Executive Director will continue, following the lead of the Holter Museum’s recent successful strategy.”
“I am thrilled to be able to work one of the leading arts organizations in Montana,” explains Ms. Harper. “It’s a wonderful task to work with the Board of Directors, the artistic and administrative staff that work with the 78 musicians of the Helena Symphony Orchestra and 90 singers of the Helena Symphony Chorale to bring music the Helena region.”
“It is so wonderful to have Pat so committed to the mission and artistic vision of the Symphony,” explains Maestro Scott. “It is important for the Symphony, as well as supporters and subscribers, to have an executive director that understands, respected, and admires the incredible commitment the Helena community has for this organization. Pat has decades of experience working with community-based projects, and she embraces our commitment with as her own. This is a rare and wonderful combination.”
In addition to serving as a partner with Maestro Scott, Ms. Harper will oversee the administrative staff, including the director of finance, bookkeeper, box office manager, and the many office volunteers. She also will be involved with the marketing, development, and daily administrative operations of the organization.
Ms. Harper has an impressive and extensive career as an organizational development consultant, public speaker, manager of global and national projects, and trainer with staff and volunteers in numerous organizations. Pat has had prominent positions with many organizations, including The Peace with Justice Program (Washington, DC), Associate State Director of AARP Montana for Advocacy and Communications, and education specialist with the Montana Office of Public Instruction. She is a founding partner of a management and organizational development consultant firm. She and husband Rusty Harper are members of the Helena Symphony Chorale and are long-time members of the Helena community.
Please contact the Helena Symphony office for additional comments or interviews with Ms. Harper, Maestro Scott, or members of the Board (406.442.1860).