SPACE on Ryder Farm Appoints Kelly M. Burdick as Executive Director
Kelly M Burdick _ Photo Credit HudValley Photo
Tom O’Connor Consulting Group (TOCG) is pleased to announce that Kelly M. Burdick (she/her) has been appointed Executive Director by SPACE on Ryder Farm (Janet Olshansky, Board Chair) in Brewster, NY, following our extensive national search.
As shared in a release from the company, Kelly Burdick brings broad-range experience in development, communications, and organizational structure to the role of ED. Most recently, she was a key member of the leadership team that brought the American Shakespeare Center through the pandemic and into a new collaborative management structure. She was a proud member of the team that brought the Classical Theatre of Harlem out of debt and cemented Uptown Shakespeare in the Park’s long-term residency in Marcus Garvey Park. Prior to that, she worked at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone creating and implementing large-scale capacity building grants for arts organizations in Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood. Ms. Burdick holds an MFA from Columbia University and a citation from the New York City Council for Outstanding Service to the City for her work with the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance. In 2020, Burdick earned her certificate in plant medicine from Iwilla Remedy.
As only the second ED of SPACE, Burdick joins an organization established for artists by artists with a simple philosophy: artists need time and space to do what they do best—create. Since its founding in 2011, thousands of artists, innovators, and changemakers have come to SPACE to do their most important work. “Building on the visionary work of our Founding Executive Director, Emily Simoness, Kelly is adeptly positioned to shape this new chapter for SPACE, steeped in the needs of our artistic community and furthering our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice,” noted Board and Search Committee Chair Janet Olshansky.
“I am thrilled to join the team at SPACE,” said Kelly Burdick. “From the moment I stepped on to the fertile soil of Ryder Farm, I could feel the creative energy permeating the grounds and buildings. It is an honor to be invited to work with the dedicated staff and steadfast Board of Directors to bring SPACE into its next phase. I’m excited to see what we can grow together.”
“It takes a truly unique person to lead a prolific organization like SPACE in a rapidly-changing world and immediately following a visionary founder such as Emily Simoness—Kelly Burdick is the perfect choice to do so,” said TOCG President Tom O’Connor, who co-led the search with Vice President of Executive Search Cynthia Fuhrman. “Cynthia and I are honored to have partnered with a committee so engaged in the questions of SPACE’s present and future, and look forward to providing support to Kelly and to the SPACE community for years to come.”
About SPACE on Ryder Farm
SPACE on Ryder Farm is a nonprofit residency program and organic farm located on the ancestral land of the Wappinger people in modern day Putnam County, New York on the grounds of a 227-year-old family homestead. SPACE’s mission is to create an environment singular in its ability to invigorate artists and innovators and their work, and to contribute to the sustainability and resourceful preservation of one of the oldest organic family farms on the East Coast. To learn more about SPACE, visit www.spaceonryderfarm.org.
About Tom O’Connor Consulting Group
Tom O’Connor Consulting Group (TOCG) is a NYC-based consultancy that supports arts institutions and leaders with two integrated services: organizational strategy and executive search. Consulting specialties including marketing, strategy, assessment, and organizational development. Founded in 2015, TOCG is a fully remote company with team members spanning the country and the globe.
Select clients have included Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Carnegie Hall, Cincinnati Opera, Huntington Theatre Company, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, Next Chapter Podcasts, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and more.
Explore our site to learn more about Our Services, Our Team, and Our Clients. Sign up for email alerts of future searches.