(CelebrityAccess) — The National Independent Venue Association and the National Independent Venue Foundation announced that a search is currently underway for new executive directors to lead both organizations.
The search is being led by the organization’s current executive director, Rev. Moose and the boards of both organizations with the goal of announcing new directors by the end of 2022.
During the search process, Rev. Moose will continue to oversee NIVA and NIFV’s ongoing mission, including hosting NIVA’s first national conference July 11 – 12 in Cleveland.
Moose, who is also managing partner of the music marketing firm Marauder, which runs Independent Venue Week, played a key role in the formation of NIVA in the early days of the pandemic, orchestrating the early emergency zoom meetings that led to the organization’s founding in the early days of the pandemic.
“When the world turned upside down, Moose dropped everything and selflessly set aside his own needs in order to help save our industry,” said Dayna Frank, NIVA Board President and CEO of First Avenue Productions. “His ability to bring people together to achieve the unimaginable got us where we are. As we search for the next executive director, we’re incredibly grateful to have his continued stewardship as we approach NIVA 2.0. We said from the start, ‘First we survive, then we thrive.’ Thanks to Moose, we’re focused on thriving in this ever-changing and unpredictable landscape. And as an industry made up of scrappy small businesspeople, we’re doing it together. We’re grateful that Moose will be with us throughout 2022 to continue to lead the organization and help us transition.”
“Since the launch of the foundation, Moose has inspired us to look beyond the pandemic, to imagine the future opportunities for our sector now that we have this powerful network of collaborators. As we strive to break down barriers and encourage diversity in our community, we are grateful that Moose helped us plant the seeds for future growth and will continue to do so through the rest of 2022,” added NIVF Board President and founder and CEO of World Cafe Live, Hal Real.
“From the early creation of NIVA and then NIVF, my goal has been to help build these organizations to the point where a successor would be able to take over,” says Moose. “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve all been able to accomplish together. Though the impetus of organization was out of necessity, a community has been created that will benefit generations to come. I am just one of hundreds of people who helped pave the way for what NIVA is today and what it will become. It is a personal honor to help lead the search for those who will lead the future development of two organizations that mean so much to me. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far, especially NIVA’s and NIVF’s boards, our Advisory Board, NIVA’s staff, numerous volunteers, and, of course, everyone at Marauder that has made juggling three full-time priorities as manageable as it could be.”
“Over the last two years Moose’s fearless support of the indie community has been incredible,” said Boris Patronoff, CEO of See Tickets and Chair of the NIVA & NIVF Advisory Board. “His ability to assemble a group of competing businesses to drive toward a common goal was crucial to the survival of our entire sector. We are so grateful to Moose for all he has accomplished and I am looking forward to working with him on a smooth transition for NIVA and NIVF leadership.”
