Compensation Escalation Cycle
Compensation Escalation Cycle
Compensation Escalation Cycle Market Archetype Mechanical Natural
Tier
Priority Review
Trajectory Thumbprint

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.

The Steward
The Steward
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: Compensation Escalation Cycle
Overall
38
Score
Governance
42
Score
Financial
45
Score
Program
30
Score

Institutional Epochs

2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Financial Era
Governance Era
Trajectory Era
Compensation Escalation

Historical Performance

Year Revenue Top Comp Comp % Rev Score Phase Label Outlook Details
2024 Hidden Hidden Unknown
2023 42.4% 38 Critical Intervention Needed Gov Risk
2022 42 Fragile Recovery
2021 52.9% 31 Critical Intervention Needed Gov Risk
2020 45.2% 38 Critical Intervention Needed Recovery
2019 34.4% 30 Critical Intervention Needed Recovery
2018 27.4% 22 Critical Intervention Needed Decline Risk
2017 28.6% 22 Critical Intervention Needed Decline Risk
2016 27.7% 20 Critical Intervention Needed Decline Risk
2015 17.2% 29 Critical Intervention Needed Recovery
2014 48.0% 20 Critical Intervention Needed Decline Risk
2013 36.2% 28 Critical Intervention Needed Recovery
2012 23 Critical Intervention Needed Decline Risk
2011 51 Fragile Stable Watch

Officer compensation history

Tax year 2025

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Janel Amsallem Employee 26.1% of Rev
Judith Employee 16.2% of Rev
Kate Gavos Board President
Diana Miranda Vice President
Sarah Lindblom Vice President
Rachel Lankdford Treasurer
Helen Hays Secretary
Robert Miranda FacilityStudio Coordinator
LeAnn Boatright Board Member
Agnes Allego Board Member
Brenda Brannen Board Member
Casey Miller Higgins Board Member
Kristin Peek Howrey Board Member
Amy Nino Board Member
Rachel Santos Board Member
Emily York Board Member

Tax year 2023

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Janel Amsallem Employee 26.7% of Rev
Judith Grywalski Employee 16.1% of Rev
Rachel Lankford Board President
Kate Gavos Board President
Helen Hays Secretary
Mandi Sonnenfeld Treasurer
Casey Higgins Board Member
Rachel Santos Board Member
Cheri Coleman Board Member
Brenda Brannen Board Member
Bret Howrey Board Member
Robert Miranda Board Member
Agnes Allego Board Member
Kristen Peek Board Member

Tax year 2022

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
Janel Amsallem Employee 25.7% of Rev
Judith Grywalski Employee 15.2% of Rev
Rachel Lankford Board President
Kate Gavos Board President
Helen Hays Secretary
Mandi Sonnenfeld Treasurer
Casey Higgins Board Member
Rachel Santos Building/Set Coordinator
Cheri Coleman Board Member
Brenda Brannen Board Member
Bret Howrey Board Member
Robert Miranda Board Member
Agnes Allego Board Member
Kristen Peek Board Member

Tax year 2021

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
JANEL AMSALLEM EMPLOYEE/ART DI 20.0% of Rev
JUDITH GRYWALSKI EMPLOYEE 13.0% of Rev
RACHEL LANKFORD Board President
STACY SELL-FOULKS Board President
HELEN HAYS Secretary
HAPPY SPILLAR Treasurer
RACHEL SANTOS BUILDING/SET CO
LYNN NIGLIAZZO Artistic Director
AGNES ALLEGO Board Member
BRENDA BRANNEN Board Member
CHERI COLEMAN Board Member
BRET HOWREY Board Member
KRISTEN PEEK Board Member
KAREN KISLINGBURY Board Member
ROBERT MIRANDA Board Member
BELINDA MILLINDER Board Member
MANDI SONNENFELD Board Member
JANET TALBERT Board Member
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
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Score breakdown

Score breakdown

Financial resilience
45 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
42 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
30 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
38 / 100
Priority Review

The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →

Peer comparison

Compared to 132 other orgs in TX with NTEE prefix A6.

Most-divergent component: financial score sits 14 points above the peer median (45 vs. 31).

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

What would change this score

The two changes that would most improve this score:

  1. Reduce top-officer compensation from 42.4% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~40 points.
  2. Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).

Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.