Jeri Crawford has served as president and CEO of the Las Vegas Philharmonic for seven years. During that time, she has overseen its expansion and led an extensive, 2 1/2-year search for a new conductor that ended when Donato Cabrera accepted the position in April 2014. The Phil’s future expansion plans include more concerts for the popular Youth Concert Series as well as a partnership with the Las Vegas Masters Singers and UNLV School of Music.
Do you have any recent news to share?
There are so many wonderful things happening these days.
The Philharmonic’s annual Youth Concert Series is one of the most impactful music education programs benefiting the students of Clark County. For 16 years, this program has provided much-needed, free classical musical experiences to children in the valley, with the majority attending at-risk elementary schools. Through the years, the series has touched nearly 200,000 students. The 2015 series in January featured 10 concerts over five days and reached more than 16,000 fourth-graders. Each weekly series session costs approximately $135,000 to present, and we’re committed to continuing the tradition.
In fact, our plan is to expand the series over the next three years. The expansion includes support for the annual Cox Communications Young Artists’ Concerto Competition, which is a vital part of the series. The competition is open to Nevada students up to grade 12. Each year, winners of the competition play at the series concerts along with the orchestra, inspiring other students.
As part of the expansion plans, the Philharmonic also is collaborating with the Discovery Children’s Museum to incorporate a program at that facility, which complements the programing at Reynolds Hall. This partnership will mean additional experiences for children in hands-on arts-enrichment activities, which have been shown to improve test scores and to increase graduation and attendance rates.
What is the best business advice you’ve received, and whom did it come from?
My father said do something you are passionate about.
If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?
For the people who live here to fully embrace, emotionally and financially, the arts, our education system and medical infrastructure as important factors in creating the economic diversity that will make our community a true world-class city.
How does the Philharmonic benefit Las Vegas’ economy and business community?
The mission of the Las Vegas Philharmonic is to perform music that enriches and educates, helping to build a vibrant, culturally rich community. Our esteemed professional musicians not only work here, they live in this community and are raising families. Many of them are teachers in the school district or at UNLV, and many also perform in shows on the Strip. They contribute to the economy and the quality of life for all of us.
Our education outreach programs provide opportunities for local businesses to partner with us and help facilitate these important initiatives and be part of something so meaningful and impactful.
You and your husband own several successful ventures in town, including Crawford Oil and Green Valley Grocery. What advice do you have for small-business owners and entrepreneurs?
Do something you love doing; then it is not work. Always look forward, never look back. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it.
What has been your most exciting professional project to date?
Surrendering to move to Las Vegas a few years ago and marrying my husband, Rick, has led to some of the most rewarding personal and professional experiences of my life. I consider myself fortunate to be living and working in this community with so many quality individuals. I’ve enjoyed a few high points during that time, including becoming a founder of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and orchestrating resident company status for the Philharmonic. We have grown and developed an incredibly hard-working and loyal staff. All of that in concert is leading the Las Vegas Philharmonic into a new era, and I am reveling in a sense of accomplishment and optimism that is very gratifying.
What are you reading right now?
“The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics,” by Daniel James Brown. It is about more than winning the gold medal. It is about overcoming great odds, and the value of teamwork.
What do you do after work?
I take time to enjoy life, whether it is working out, traveling to our home in San Diego County, spending time with our champion kuvasz dogs, and most important, spending time with Rick and our family.
Describe your management style.
Encouraging entrepreneurial spirit and team work, providing positive reinforcement, getting people to function to the best of their ability, holding people accountable, setting goals and taking responsibility. This style of management was ingrained in me from the start of my career.
Where do you see yourself and the Philharmonic in 10 years?
The Las Vegas Philharmonic has come a long way in the past 10 years and has a great opportunity to be dramatically more significant 10 years from now. To accomplish that, top-quality staffers who can shepherd the organization forward on their own, should the need arise, must be developed. In 10 years, it is conceivable that we could have a full-time orchestra with invitations to play abroad, but that will require full commitment from the musicians and increased financial support through corporations, individuals and foundations that want to invest in our vision.
Whom do you admire and why?
People who have a passion about their point of view. Not that I always have to agree with them, but I can appreciate a differing viewpoint and enjoy an enlightening discussion.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who overpromise and underperform. I have high standards and appreciate others who do as well.
What is something people might not know about you?
I took ballet instruction and bred and showed Arabian horses for years.