CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC, a leader in retained executive search for the nonprofit sector, is proud to announce the successful placement of Annie Lyonswright as Director of Advancement at Writers Theatre, one of the top-ranked regional theatres in the country.
Lyonswright has a wealth of experience in the Chicago nonprofit community, having most recently served as the Associate Director of Board Governance and Engagement at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. With a proven track record of success in numerous development-focused roles at both Northwestern University and The Joffrey Ballet, Lyonswright brings extensive experience and a commitment to advancing the missions of the organizations she serves.
Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman LLC, who personally led the search, stated, “From the outset, Annie’s extensive fundraising experience and her lifelong passion for performing arts clearly distinguished her as the standout candidate. We are excited to see how her unique vision will enrich the Writers Theatre community and elevate the profile of the institution throughout Chicago’s North Shore community and well beyond Chicagoland.”
Lyonswright joins Writers Theatre at a pivotal time as it embarks on its 32nd season, poised for growth under the leadership of Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma. With her expertise in spearheading major fundraising initiatives and leading groundbreaking events at some of Chicago’s most renowned institutions, Annie is uniquely qualified to drive the Theatre’s development efforts forward.
Kate Lipuma, Executive Director of Writers Theatre, added, “We are absolutely delighted to have Annie join our leadership team. As we embark on our 33rd season, Annie's strategic approach to development will be essential in not only sustaining but also enhancing our efforts to provide the important resources to support the art on our stages, community engagement programs, and our educational initiatives. We look forward to the innovative and impactful contributions she will bring to Writers Theatre.”
About Cooper Coleman LLC
Cooper Coleman LLC is a full-service retained executive search and consulting firm partnering exclusively with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions to drive meaningful growth. Its team moves organizations forward by placing the right leaders in the right roles at the right time and helps to strengthen their management and fundraising capacity to amplify their mission and impact.
Cooper Coleman partners with clients spanning the social sector, including those focused on civil rights, global health, performing arts and culture, social services, and LGBTQ+ issues, among others.
Founder and CEO Johnny Cooper has more than 17 years of leadership experience throughout the social sector. He established Cooper Coleman to solve a gap in service delivery to the sector, specifically how search firms represent nonprofit clients, and the attention paid to the candidate experience throughout a search—chosen or not. Knowing the transformational impact that having the right leaders in the right roles can have on an organization and its mission, Cooper partnered with retained search veteran William B. Coleman, Jr. to establish Cooper Coleman as a firm that prioritizes making the essential services of executive search accessible to organizations across the social sector. William Coleman has more than 25 years of experience in retained executive search, including leading his own firm, Coleman Search Consulting LLC, for more than ten years until its sale in 2018.
For more information on Cooper Coleman LLC, visit their website at www.coopercoleman.com and find them on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coopercoleman.
About Writers Theatre
Writers Theatre boldly looks to the future as it begins its 32nd season. Having captivated audiences for years with its dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible, the theatre is now a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called “America’s finest regional theater company” by The Wall Street Journal. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, the company is charting a path forward for the next 30 years.
Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over 30 world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average 10,000 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word.
For more information on the Writers Theatre, visit www.writerstheatre.org.