Dr. Michael J. Mastrangelo of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic received the Carl D. Rolfsen Stewardship Award due to his extraordinary work and innovative ideas. Because of Dr. Mastrangelo's dedicated commitment to the Philharmonic, the organization will receive a Foellinger Foundation grant of $10,000 operating support funds and up to $7,500 for special board development training.

Dr. Mastrangelo has shown outstanding commitment and leadership as Board Chairman of the Philharmonic Board from 2005 to 2007, according to the Philharmonic's nomination letter. As board chairman, Dr. Mastrangelo developed an Institutional Vision and Strategic Planning Committee to oversee the most comprehensive vision and planning project in the Philharmonic's recent history. Musicians, staff, board and volunteers from the Philharmonic united to discuss their visions for the future of the Philharmonic and how each internal constituency could support those visions through specific steps. Since then, the organization has finished Phase One, which entails a revised mission statement, new vision and artistic vision statements, and the establishment of five strategic goals that the full organization is committed to achieving.

Dr. Mastrangelo chaired the search committee for a new president and CEO. According to the Philharmonic, he played an essential role in selecting other members of the search committee advocating diverse opinions that would unite to form a clear-cut, well-defined profile of the new head of the organization. He challenged the organization to develop and implement a more detailed budgeting model that would look at the financial impact of each program. This model was implemented and is a beneficial tool for board members as they discuss the most effective places to distribute resources within the organization.

Dr. Mastrangelo has supported a three-year plan to increase audiences and earn income for the Philharmonic. The Philharmonic leadership says that Dr. Mastrangelo is a key figure in raising funds from the community to support these efforts. The recruiting and nominating process is perhaps the area where Dr. Mastrangelo has made the greatest impression. Many people saw the nominating process as closed and narrowly focused before Dr. Mastrangelo became Board Chairman. Board elections are now much smoother, and board members are more effective. Dr. Mastrangelo created a tool that allowed the board to assess itself. This allowed the board to work on its weaker areas and reinforce its stronger areas.

The nomination letter from the Philharmonic reports that Dr. Mastrangelo was vital in aiding the interim executive director in Philharmonic operations. He spent countless hours to achieve a smooth leadership transition, which was invaluable to the organization.

Dr. Mastrangelo also organized the first full-board evaluation of the chief executive. The first evaluation was conducted in October 2006 and was adopted by the board. The evaluation process is now established and is conducted annually.
Congratulations, Dr. Mike!