An extensive array of experiences

Merete B. Cunningham

**** ****** *****

Fort Collins, CO 80524

Cell: 970-***-****

e-mail: ******@*******.***

Education: High School diploma, Petaluma HS, CA 1963 as a foreign exchange student.

Top graduate from Trondheim School of Business and Economics, Trondheim, Norway, 1965, a three-year study. Courses included accounting, business management, personnel management, sales and marketing, law, languages, economics. I was Senior Class president (first woman).

Profile:

Partner in management consulting company for over 30 years.

Excellent ability to work with people from various backgrounds.

Strong sense of responsibility and self-motivation.

Excellent customer service skills

Acute attention to detail.

Experience in community non profit organizations, both as a board member and Executive Director.

Successful grant writer for arts grants.

Comfortable as a public speaker.

Skills in a Non-profit Setting:

Budgets, public speaking, board relations. I have trained several boards in non-profit board policies and responsibilities, as well as training and briefing new board members. Officer positions include president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. I have served (both ex officio and as an active board member) on such committees as:

Long Range Planning

Music Director Search

Finance

Program/Strategy

Executive Director Search

Fund raising, Development

Special Events

Employment:

Bookkeeper, League of Women Voters of Larimer County 2019-20

Partner/Administrator, The Damer Group, LLC/Cunningham & Associates 1983–present

Executive Director, Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra 2000–2003

Responsibilities included production of 12-16 performances per year, accounting/payroll, concert program creation, all mailings to a 4,000 person data base, ad sales, marketing, budget creation, annual brochure creation, community relations, coordination and scheduling of concert dates, venue contracts, season and single ticket sales coordination, guest artist contracting, grant writing (12 per year expected). This was a one person position, and very busy, but with a great board.

Executive Director, Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra 1995 – 97

Generally same as above, except only accounting oversight, for 9 concerts per year

Flight attendant and purser, Pan American World Airways 1967 – 76

Staff accountant, A/S Bokreditt, Trondheim, Norway 1965 - 66

Current Employment:

The Damer Group has specialized in business coaching, medical products business development, executive recruiting, biotechnology consulting, and financing for approximately 30 years. Our clients have included companies in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and Japan, such as Mitsubishi Electric, Ossur (Iceland), Telecom Australia, MDS Nordion (Canada) and Medical Data International.

Languages:

Norwegian, Swedish, Danish

German and Spanish, but not so well anymore. I used to be fluent, and my Spanish is better than my German.

Volunteer activities:

Colorado Common Cause, board member

League of Women Voters, Cross Currents committee chair(created TV debates on current topics)

League of Women Voters, budget committee

Larimer Democratic Party office manager and staff, responsible for data base upkeep and general office duties, with being the first contact with voters who need help and support.

Check process/donor research for Betsy Markey for Congress up to November 2008

Board member and president, Front Range Chamber Players, 2007-08.

President, Vice President and Treasurer, Youth Orchestra of the Rockies, 1997 - 2006. Chair of their conductor search and development committees.

Vice President, Women’s Guild of the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra 1998 - 2000. I have chaired several of their fundraisers.

Treasurer, Fort Collins Area Arts Council, 1996 – 97.

Secretary, Northern Colorado Traditional Jazz Society, 1999 – 2000.

First Vice President, California Youth Symphony 1990 - 93. The position included fund raising and finance responsibilities, including grant applications for the organization, which has 350 musicians in nine ensembles.

Tour director, 1992 CYS Tour of Australia. This included charge of 100 young musicians of high school age, 20 adults, and $1,500,000 worth of instruments. The tour included 6 concerts, including one at Sydney Opera House, for which I found the sole sponsor (Bank of America, Australia).

References are available.

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