Compensation Escalation Cycle
What does this mean?
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
The Path Forward
The Steward
Re-establishes board supremacy over executive extraction. It freezes compensation and mandates that all future financial rewards be tied strictly to verifiable mission expansion.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | — | — | 31.3% | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2023 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 103.9% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 37 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 10.9% | 41 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 37 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 37 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Engler | Artistic Director | 31.3% of Rev | ||
| Susan Reed | Board President | — | ||
| Mary Ellis | Secretary | — | ||
| T Jeffrey Horner | Treasurer | — | ||
| Barbara Riley | Fundraising | — | ||
| Elaine Conover | Facilities Coordinator | — | ||
| Lindsay Sier | Publicity | — | ||
| David Miller | Membership | — | ||
| Meg Hasse | Grants | — | ||
| Jennifer Stitely | Recruitment | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Holmes | Artistic Director | 30.8% of Rev | ||
| Michael Holmes | Artistic Director | 5.1% of Rev | ||
| Patrick Wallen | Board President | — | ||
| Beckie Karras | Secretary | — | ||
| T Jeffrey Horner | Treasurer | — | ||
| Amanda Storey | Outreach | — | ||
| Sherry Hohl | Communications | — | ||
| Jonathan Yost | Fundraising | — | ||
| Elaine Conover | Fundraising | — | ||
| Gail Phillips Smith | At-large | — | ||
| Andrew Woodard | At-large | — | ||
| Beckie Karras | Board President | — | ||
| Amanda Storey | Board President | — | ||
| Irene Battalen | Secretary | — | ||
| T Jeffrey Horner | Treasurer | — | ||
| Jonathan Yost | Fundraising | — | ||
| Elaine Conover | Logistics | — | ||
| Anne Weatherholt | Publicity | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 164 other orgs in MD with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: governance score sits 27 points below the peer median (42 vs. 69).
5-year trend: Compensation Escalation Cycle
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 31.3% is above the 90th percentile for orgs of this size (healthy band: 18–22%).
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 31.3% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~19 points.
- Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.