Compensation Escalation Cycle
What does this mean?
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
The Path Forward
The Steward
Re-establishes board supremacy over executive extraction. It freezes compensation and mandates that all future financial rewards be tied strictly to verifiable mission expansion.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 19.4% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 20.4% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 32.2% | 37 | Governance-Stressed | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 8.9% | 39 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 0.8% | 30 | Critical Intervention Needed | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 45 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2026
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damron Armstrong | Artistic Director | 22.6% of Rev | ||
| Tracy E Jamerson | Board President | — | ||
| Shontrice Patillo | Board President | — | ||
| Dr Jeffery Williams | Secretary | — | ||
| Kenneth Powell | Treasurer | — | ||
| Dr Evelyn Williams | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Wright | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Hull | Board Member | — | ||
| Mary Shannon | Board Member | — | ||
| Margaret Stockdale | Board Member | — | ||
| Courtney Williams | Board Member | — | ||
| Jauqua Preston Wilkins | Board Member | — | ||
| Dr Adrianna Marshall | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damron Armstrong | Artistic Director | 19.4% of Rev | ||
| Tracy E Jamerson | Board President | — | ||
| Kenneth Powell | Treasurer | — | ||
| Dr Jeffery Williams | Secretary | — | ||
| Karen Wright | Board Member | — | ||
| Amy Hull | Board Member | — | ||
| Dr Adrianna Marshall | Board Member | — | ||
| Mary Shannon | Board Member | — | ||
| Dr Evelyn Williams | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damron Armstrong | Artistic Director | 20.7% of Rev | ||
| Suzetta Parks-Pennington | Board President | — | ||
| Willard Snyder | Board President | — | ||
| Kenneth Powell | Treasurer | — | ||
| Jeff Williams | Secretary | — | ||
| Tracy Jamerson | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Klein-Wright | Board Member | — | ||
| Shontrice Patillo | Board Member | — | ||
| Evelyn Williams | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damron Armstrong | Artistic Director | 5.0% of Rev | ||
| Suzetta Parks-Pennington | Board President | — | ||
| Willard Snyder | Board President | — | ||
| Kenneth Powell | Treasurer | — | ||
| Jeff Williams | Secretary | — | ||
| Tracy Jamerson | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Klein-Wright | Board Member | — | ||
| Shontrice Patillo | Board Member | — | ||
| Evelyn Williams | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damron Armstrong | Artistic Director | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| Sherry Gibbs | Board President | — | ||
| Willard Snyder | Board President | — | ||
| Kenneth Powell | Treasurer | — | ||
| Jeff Williams | Secretary | — | ||
| Suzetta Parks | Board Member | — | ||
| Evelyn Williams | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 104 other orgs in MO with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 15 points above the peer median (45 vs. 30).
5-year trend: Compensation Escalation Cycle
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 19.4% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Financial resilience score in the bottom quartile — reserves and liabilities ratios warrant review.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).
- Build cash reserves to at least 3 months of operating expenses — moves financial resilience score meaningfully (~10 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.