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The Business On Board Experience
Business On Board Impact:
John Janney, Vice President of eBusiness & Enrollment for Independence Blue Cross
When John Janney signed on for the Arts & Business Council's Business On Board program, he wanted to increase his influence in the community by serving on a board of directors.
He reached that goal, and so much more. In the course of his 30-hour training over 4 months, John learned about the abundance of arts and cultural institutions in the region—more than 1,000—and how thoughtful, smart and impassioned governance at the board level can help them thrive. He also met the region's nonprofit arts leaders and networked with senior-level executives from other industries and professions.
When his training was complete, John took the advice of Business On Board faculty and followed his heart to find the board that was right for him. He sought two things: deeper involvement with his family and an opportunity to explore and expand his entrepreneurial skills. He found them both with a placement at the Philadelphia Children's Theatre, a start-up theatre company that needed his energy and commitment to grow beyond the dream of its two founders.
When he became president of the Philadelphia Children's Theatre, John maximized the board's capacity, spearheaded professional marketing and web-presence efforts, and enabled the theatre to hire a full-time executive director.
John has called the Philadelphia Children's Theatre his third full-time job—after his positions at Independence Blue Cross (IBC) and his family. The rewards have been rich, however. "I wanted something I could be passionate about. For me, that was someplace where my children could see what could be done," said John. The needs of a theatre are very different from those of IBC, and he appreciated being "able to go outside the things I do every day." The experience has kept him fresh, nimble and entrepreneurial in the way he goes about working in eBusiness at IBC.
John's experience with the Business On Board program inspired IBC to commit to training 4 executives per year in board leadership and placement with a cultural organization.
Impact: Nancy M. Stuski, Vice President of Advertising, The New York Sun and Philadelphia Young Playwrights
Impact: Vincent R. McGuinness, Jr., Partner, Cozen O’Connor and Elfreth’s Alley Association
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