Your project—large or small—brings new opportunities and challenges to your mission.
I work as a freelance nonprofit arts and culture executive, embedded as a member of your team, to assess and strengthen operations, bring clarity and structure to project planning, and manage initiatives ranging from discrete programs to complex capital efforts.

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plan for the future; manage the present

Advocate for the best interest of your project and future operations: Accurately plan initiatives; Coordinate with fundraising; Build a Business Plan

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Coordinate and monitor

Maintain quality control across all phases: Manage business terms of contracts; Monitor owner budgets and schedules; Implement project goals

Chris Siefert (CV here) is a nonprofit arts and culture executive with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across museums, performing arts organizations, and public-facing cultural institutions. He has held executive and deputy director roles, partnering closely with boards, staff, funders, and public agencies to deliver complex initiatives with clarity and fiscal discipline. Chris specializes in stepping in at pivotal moments—bringing structure to ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and translating vision into executable plans. He is based in Sag Harbor, New York, and works nationally.

Services / Capabilities

Operational & Financial Planning

  • Translate mission-driven goals into actionable operational and financial frameworks

  • Develop business and operating plans that align programming, governance, staffing, and long-range financial projections

  • Identify operational risks and inefficiencies early, and implement corrective strategies

  • Integrate facilities planning, energy management systems, and incentive-based utility programs into sustainable operations

Strategic Project & Capital Oversight

  • Serve as an embedded executive partner, providing informed decision-making support at critical project milestones

  • Define scope, delivery methods, budgets, and schedules to reduce risk and prevent downstream cost or time overruns

  • Evaluate trade-offs among design, cost, schedule, and operational impact to support leadership decisions

  • Safeguard quality while managing complexity across pre-design, design, construction, and post-occupancy phases

Consultant, Contractor & Stakeholder Integration

  • Lead consultant and contractor selection with an emphasis on fit, accountability, and performance

  • Negotiate and manage contracts to protect owner interests and clarify roles, deliverables, and risk allocation

  • Act as a trusted intermediary among boards, leadership, staff, funders, consultants, and regulatory agencies

  • Advance sustainability objectives and M/WBE participation while maintaining project momentum

Quality Control, Closeout & Transition

  • Monitor construction quality and documentation to minimize change orders and claims

  • Oversee commissioning, closeout, and acceptance to ensure projects are truly operational—not just complete

  • Lead occupancy planning, transition, and startup to support continuity of operations and staff readiness

Communication & Governance Support

  • Maintain consistent, transparent communication with project leadership and governing bodies

  • Surface issues early, frame options clearly, and provide candid recommendations

  • Support boards and executive leadership with clear analysis during high-stakes decisions