Christina Littlejohn Furman University Alumni

Christina Littlejohn '91

— CEO of Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

Surround yourself with the brightest people you possibly can in any field...The more you can learn about anything from someone who knows his or her specialty well, the better.

 


Personal/Professional Journey


How did you find your way to where you are today? Share a little about your professional journey.

During my junior year at Furman, I was principal cello of the Furman Orchestra, a member of the Hartness String Quartet, and editor-in-chief of The Paladin. I loved all of it, but knew I needed to earn a living somehow, some day. That summer, we traveled to Detroit on a family vacation and the Detroit Free Press had a major article on the new executive director of the Detroit Symphony. My mother threw the paper at me and said, "This is what you need to do." She was right. Working in arts administration would allow me to write, possibly play my cello, and definitely use my leadership experience and knowledge of music. After Furman, I earned an MBA and MA in arts administration from University of Cincinnati. I have served the orchestra field for 25 years now with a key focus on start-ups and turnarounds. For the last seven years, I have led Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock as CEO. Prior to Little Rock, I worked in New Orleans, Mobile, AL, Miami, FL, and Pensacola, FL.
What motivations fueled your career path?

I most enjoy watching people take pleasure in a product I had a hand in creating. At Furman, walking through the dining hall on Fridays was my favorite time because I could see everyone reading The Paladin (pre-smart-phone days). Now, my favorite time is observing a child learn a new melody on the violin, watching thousands of strangers enjoy hearing Arkansas Symphony perform Beethoven Nine together, or receiving a donation that will enable someone's life to be transformed through music.



Within the field


When providing advice for professional development, what are some tools or resources one should consider?

Surround yourself with the brightest people you possibly can in any field. If there is a young professional organization, Rotary Club, or a public relations group, find it and join. The more you can learn about anything from someone who knows his or her specialty well, the better. If you are running a symphony, you have to know a little about many topics. When you run a nonprofit, your goal is to serve your community and to serve others. You would not want to work for a nonprofit for any other reason.

You will serve best with a healthy sense of curiosity about any subject. I have found the more I read, ask, and discover anything, the easier it is for me to connect the dots and see how music might serve a community's need. Complex problems require complex solutions. By reading broadly, you will better see complex situations.

If you find you are simply terrible at something, decide whether it is a skill you have to have for your job or if it is a skill someone else can bring to the table. Do not waste time trying to be something you are not and listen to the people who have strengths where you are weak. For example, I am terrible at thinking or seeing the worst that can happen. I do not see potholes in the way of something I want to create. After a few failures, I accepted I must listen to those who can. Having at least one person in my life who sees all the things that can go wrong can help us figure out together how to avoid the potholes to achieve our goals.
How would you recommend someone interested in the same career/vocation pursue a similar path?

Take the time to complete internships at nonprofits while you can still afford making little to no salary. Explore operations, fundraising, marketing, and board engagement to see which area of need for a nonprofit feels best to your skill set. You can earn a living and add value in any area. If you think you need to lead and do not care how small the budget is, work for a small nonprofit so you can experience and try all of the different areas nonprofits need. If you really have a passion and talent for marketing and want to fill concert halls, work in the marketing department of a large arts organization and absorb every aspect you possibly can.



For someone just getting started


What do you wish you would have known getting started in your field?

Who you know is important. Network in your nonprofit field if you want to move to higher paying jobs. When I was starting, I thought great work was all that was required to advance to the next level of salary. I wish I had known the importance of social capital earlier. It is completely acceptable to use your social capital by way of a fellow Furman graduate, your mother's mentor, or anyone you vaguely know with a connection to the field that interests you. Talk to that person and do not be bashful. Learn as much as you can in informational interviews. I have recommended a few people for jobs simply because they took the time to ask me for an informational interview and I got to know them.
What additional education or certification is required/recommended?

I am most appreciative of my master's degrees. In the orchestra field, several CEOs have advanced degrees in music rather than business. Very few of my colleagues have an MBA. Since my path primarily focused on the business leadership of different organizations, I greatly appreciated the finance classes, strategic planning, and operations work from Cincinnati. This gave me a comfort level and ability to make faster decisions than I would have otherwise. I think you could skip the MBA, but you should take some basic finance and accounting classes. You need to be able to read a balance sheet and understand why your board member is asking for a cash flow statement.



Furman University


How has your liberal arts background shaped your career path or supported your success?

I work with board members, donors, musicians, staff, and the general public who have varied interests and needs. The liberal arts background gave me a foundation of curiosity, comfort with the unknown, and just enough information about a broad number of subjects to make it through a cocktail party. I used the time at Furman to explore different subjects and interests. The liberal arts environment made exploring and discovering easy and acceptable.

I run a company in the 21st Century. Exploring, learning, listening, asking questions, and reaching conclusions are what I do. I cannot stress enough the importance of the ability to live with "gray" and the unknown in making decisions. I remember thinking on graduation day, "The only thing I know is that I know so little about the world and I now have to find a job and support myself. Good thing I have a degree from Furman."
What extracurricular activities helped you develop professionally?

I was a music major and played cello in the orchestra, cello in Hartness String Quartet, and solo cello for recitals. In addition, I stumbled into writing for The Paladin my freshman year and became editor-in-chief my junior year. My senior year, I went on foreign study to England and Italy. I think all of that work helped me develop professionally. In particular, I attended an editor workshop where we learned about strategic planning and team building. The experiences of leading a team, writing under deadline, interviewing strangers, being one member of a quartet, and performing solo recitals set me up nicely for arts administration.

Furman is the right size for people to try, take chances, and see what sticks. For me, I was given the amazing opportunity to be editor and get to know Dr. Johns and other university leaders and donors. I interviewed Jesse Jackson Jr., the Indigo Girls, Bob Jones, III, and others. I had to make decisions that made some students angry and some laugh, and I got to say, "stop the press," one day to the printer.

I suggest trying any and all opportunities to figure out what your unique talents are. If you do not like something, you can quit and go try something else. Furman is rich with opportunities to discover and use your gifts.
 

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