CEO Jeff Collier leaving Orchestra Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS — Kids grow up too quickly, and with a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, Orchestra Iowa CEO Jeffrey Collier wants more evenings and weekends to “enjoy life with my wife and kids,” he told The Gazette following the announcement that he’s stepping down.

“They are the light of my life,” he said of his family, “and it’s the right time to spend more time with them. From the time that I arrived here eight years ago to now, my life has changed,” he said, noting that he and his wife, Michelle, whom he met here, recently celebrated their sixth anniversary.

Collier will stay with the orchestra until his contract expires Aug. 31, 2023. In the meantime, he’s pursuing “a more entrepreneurial opportunity” that he’s not ready to discuss, but he is planning to stay in the area.

“I can’t talk a lot about what I’m going to do, just because there's a lot of paperwork and details that still need to be finalized. But like I said, it's the right time for me and my family, and we're looking forward to a new chapter,” he said.

“And the orchestra will benefit from having new vision — a new approach and new guidance on how to tackle the challenges and opportunities for the arts in this community.”

A southern Tennessee native, Collier came to Cedar Rapids in 2015, after a two-year stint as executive director of the Erie, Pa., Philharmonic. His impressive resume, as reported when he came to Orchestra Iowa, also includes a year as an arts management fellow at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. From 2009 to 2012, he was executive director of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra in North Dakota.

He holds undergraduate degrees in bassoon performance and music education from Louisiana State University and a master’s in business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he specialized in arts administration. He also has served as chamber music manager at the Juilliard School and spent seven summers managing the voice program for mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne at Music Academy of the West.

While in Cedar Rapids

During his eight-year tenure with Orchestra Iowa, the board of directors said the organization has seen significant growth in audiences, expansion of its presence in the Iowa City area, and the introduction of new programs, including the popular films with live orchestra. Collier also provided leadership and stability for the orchestra through the COVID-19 pandemic and led the orchestra through a successful centennial season.

“Jeff’s leadership has seen the orchestra through some challenging times and we appreciate his dedication and hard work,” board chair Lisa Rhatigan said in a news release.

Music Director Tim Hankewich added: “I admire Jeff and am grateful for what he has helped Orchestra Iowa accomplish. I mostly cherish the bond of friendship that Jeff and I developed bringing music to our community.”

The board of directors plans to hire an interim CEO, who will serve in the role while the board conducts a national search for a permanent CEO. No changes are expected in the upcoming season’s programming.

Collier called his move "obviously, a bittersweet decision.“

“I love the orchestra,” he said. “I love how it serves the community. But for me, and for my family at this time, this is the right decision and one that I am excited for. I'm excited for what lies ahead for us. I'm excited for what lies ahead for the orchestra.

“I think that the hardest part of leaving is all the people that I've built relationships with and loved working with, and collaborating and partnering with the community. Missing that will be the hardest part.”

But he’ll still be in the audience.

"Music is still my great love and I’m eager to continue supporting and advocating for the orchestra — even from the sidelines.“

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