Engaging the Community

Jim Copenhaver is the Senior Partner of the consulting firm of J C Enterprises – Focused Learning. The firm provides focused process management tools to assist non-profit organizations to fully achieve their purpose by utilizing the creative and innovative capabilities of leadership, employees and volunteers. The firm specializes in the areas of organizational development, governance models, self-directed teams, strategic business and marketing planning, and change management. Copenhaver’s experience with organizations in transition began with 31 years of management positions with Honeywell, including Divisional Controller, Vice President of Marketing and as Vice President of Data Storage Product Operations. With Honeywell, he was involved in pioneering efforts to shift from traditional hierarchical structures to team-based and self-directed work teams.

Following his business career, he accepted the challenge to serve as the first Executive Director/CEO for the Colorado Symphony, the nation’s first orchestra to create a working partnership of musicians, trustees and community. This new “partnership model” received national recognition as a viable alternative for non-profit organizations facing financial and operational issues. Subsequently, he has served as Interim Executive Director for the Western States Arts Federation in 1995, for Childsplay, a professional Theatre for Youth in Tempe, Arizona in 2001, for the Colorado Symphony again in 2002, and most recently in 2003, as Interim Executive Director for the Phoenix Boys Choir. In each of these positions, while assisting in the selection of the new Executive Director, he provided management and assistance to the boards in the areas of strategic planning, governance, and facilitated changes required to deal with the impact on their missions caused by the changing environment for the arts.

Copenhaver provides his business acumen and experience to assist a wide range of non-profit arts organizations. Clients have included the New Mexico Symphony, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera (CO), the Arvada Center for the Arts, the Van Cliburn Foundation, the Indianapolis Symphony, Symphonies of the Southwest Consortium, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Lubbock Symphony, the Billings Symphony and Chamber Music Sedona. Current clients include the Montana Arts Council, the Mobile Symphony, and the Anchorage Concert Association. Copenhaver is also serving as the facilitator for the Contract Review Committee of the Phoenix Symphony.
In addition, he currently serves on the following boards of trustees: Arts for Colorado (Chair); Foundation for the Denver Performing Arts Complex (Chair); Englewood (CO) Cultural Arts Center Association (Chair); Arizona Action for the Arts (Chair); Arizona Citizens for the Arts; and Childsplay Theatre for Youth Company.