PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts Project announced it has hired Keith Marks to be the next Executive Director following a nationwide search. He will assume leadership of the nonprofit in January.
Marks is the second executive director for Next Stage, which celebrates its 10th birthday in 2020.
Marks will move from Jacksonville, Fla., where he founded Avant, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching community through the power of diverse arts experiences. His efforts earned him the 2019 Arts Innovator Award from the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
“We are very excited to bring Keith's fresh energy to Next Stage,” Kat McGraw, president of the Next Stage Board of Trustees, said in a news release. “He joins us just as we begin our strategic planning process, and we are eager to have his voice join the greater Putney community in this work.”
Earlier this year, Marks completed the National Arts Strategies Executive Program in Arts and Culture certificate from the University of Pennsylvania. A fellow student in the program suggested he apply for the position at Next Stage.
“When I researched Next Stage, I loved the multiple aspects of the organization: the historical preservation piece, and, most importantly, how instrumental Next Stage is at bringing community together,” says Marks, who will be moving to Vermont with his wife, Tehila, and their two young children, Tahgel and Silan.
Prior to Avant, Marks had broad experience in journalism and marketing and communications. He has also been involved in the production side of live events as a booking agent, tour manager, and producer, among other roles, for the past 25 years. He holds a master's in education from Tel Aviv University in Israel and a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of North Florida.