FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2022
Contact: Wendi Griffiths
(888) 234.4236 Ext. 231
BOSTON — Arts Consulting Group (ACG), the leading provider of hands-on management consulting services to the arts and culture industry, announced that Ernest A. Figueroa has joined the firm as Associate Vice President. Figueroa brings 30 years of experience and has worked as an arts administrator, live event producer, director, performer, and playwright within in professional theater, educational theater, film, television, radio broadcasting, and arts event management. Based in Los Angeles, Figueroa joins ACG’s leadership transitions team, providing additional support in the areas of facilities and program planning, strategy, and capacity building.
Figueroa spent more than 10 years at The Broad Stage at Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. As the Producer for The Broad Stage, he was responsible for artist coordination, contract negotiation, program selection, education supervision, production, and development, presenting more than 900 events from the top performers in opera, jazz, choral, orchestral music, multi-media, theater, and dance. As the Special Event and Grants Coordinator within the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department for the City of Pasadena, he served as the city’s liaison to its multitude of visual and performing arts organizations. He also coordinated the bi-annual Arts and Ideas Festival and the twice yearly ArtNight and assisted in developing the Cultural Nexus, Pasadena’s first city-wide cultural plan.
Figueroa has done extensive work in arts education with the Alliance for Drama Education in Hawaii, the Summer Fine Arts Camp in Alaska, and as the National Education Director at Plays for Living. In addition, he has worked for a variety of theater organizations, including The Pasadena Playhouse, The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, and The Groundlings Theatre. Figueroa won a WAVE Award (Western Access Video Excellence) for his talk show ¡Adelante!, a weekly locally produced series celebrating the rich heritage of Latino people. At the Fairfield University Management Training Institute, Figueroa developed and launched the very successful Impro:Vision program, training business executives in the best practices of extemporaneous presentation skills.
In making the announcement, ACG Senior Vice President Wyona Lynch-McWhite said, “ACG is thrilled that Ernest Figueroa has joined ACG’s growing team. His experience in not only theater but also film, television, and radio broadcasting, will allow ACG to serve a broader range of clients and communities. We look forward to the expertise, support, and guidance he will provide our flourishing leadership transitions division.”
“Having multiple points of contact with a wide range of visual and performing artists over the past 30 years has given me a specialized insight into the future of arts leadership,” said Figueroa. “I am excited to contribute to Arts Consulting Group, who are uniquely positioned, not only to nurture ongoing collaborations between all of the arts nationally, but who continue to develop a diverse and growing roster of arts leaders to profoundly affect the greater good. It is my honor to join ACG as a team member in these efforts.”
A Founder of Directors Lab West, Figueroa has served on the Steering Committee since its inception in 2000. He is also a Drama League fellow, a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Director’s Lab. Figueroa has helped craft policies, goals, and objectives in the areas of equity, diversity, access, and inclusion for California Presenters, where he also served on the diversity committee. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in speech and theatre education from McPherson College in Kansas and a master of fine arts degree in theatre and dance with an emphasis in directing from University of Hawaii at Manoa.
About Arts Consulting Group
ACG is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, strategic planning & community engagement, facilities & program planning, and other capacity building services for the arts and culture industry. Founded in 1997, ACG is a full-service firm that effectively works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, universities, government agencies, and for-profit entities that operate in the creative industries. The firm takes a contemporary approach to client challenges and opportunities focused on growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities. ACG senior team members have leadership experience in every type of artistic and cultural discipline and they seamlessly adapt to clients’ rapidly changing strategies, business models, and operating environments. The firm currently has locations in Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Raleigh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC. ACG employees and consultants are embedded in communities throughout North America to invigorate clients so that they can achieve the delicate balance between cultural impacts and business sustainability. For more information, please visit ArtsConsulting.com or contact info@ArtsConsulting.com or (888) 234.4236.