The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap Market Archetype Mechanical Natural
Tier
Stable
Trajectory Thumbprint

The Founder's Trap

What does this mean?

10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.

The Path Forward

The Dispersal

Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.

The Dispersal
The Dispersal
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: The Founder's Trap
Overall
69
Score
Governance
53
Score
Financial
70
Score
Program
90
Score

Institutional Epochs

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

Historical Performance

Year Revenue Top Comp Comp % Rev Score Phase Label Outlook Details
2024 Hidden Hidden Unknown
2023 Hidden Hidden 0.5% 69 Fragile Gov Risk
2022 Hidden Hidden 2.2% 72 Fragile Recovery
2021 Hidden Hidden 0.7% 69 Fragile Gov Risk
2020 Hidden Hidden 1.2% 72 Fragile Recovery
2019 Hidden Hidden 2.5% 67 Fragile Gov Risk
2018 Hidden Hidden 2.0% 72 Fragile Recovery
2017 Hidden Hidden 2.3% 68 Fragile Recovery
2016 Hidden Hidden 5.4% 63 Fragile Gov Risk
2015 Hidden Hidden 4.1% 72 Fragile Recovery
2014 Hidden Hidden 4.2% 68 Fragile Gov Risk
2013 Hidden Hidden 2.1% 72 Fragile Recovery
2012 Hidden Hidden 3.1% 62 Governance-Stressed Gov Risk
2011 Hidden Hidden 3.0% 72 Fragile Recovery
2010 Hidden Hidden 3.5% 68 Fragile Gov Risk

Officer compensation history

Tax year 2025

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ROBERT MEYA Board Member 1.5% of Rev
HARRY BICKET Board Member 0.8% of Rev
HEATHER KEMP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.6% of Rev
DAVID LOMELI Artistic Director 0.5% of Rev
CHRISTOPHER HUFNAGEL Board Member 0.4% of Rev
ELIZABETH KELLOGG Board Member 0.4% of Rev
MICHAEL GARY Board Member 0.4% of Rev
ALLISON H SWENSON DIR. OF DEVELOPMENT (THRU 2/10/2023) 0.3% of Rev
SUSAN G MARINEAU Board President
FREDERICK R HAAS Board President
BRUCE CHEMEL Secretary
JOHN M HAUPERT Treasurer
ROBERT J VLADEM Board President
SARAH BILLINGHURST SOLOMON Board President
EUGENE E STARK JR Board President
LYNN LOACKER Board President
MEG BOULWARE Board Member
JOSEPH M BRYAN JR Board Member
J BRUCE BUGG JR Board Member
SUSAN ESCO CHANDLER Board Member
RICHARD H DAVIS Board Member
DAVID B DILLARD Board Member
EIVIND K DJUPEDAL Board Member
REBECCA J DUNCAN Board Member
DAVID F ERTEL Board Member
A CHARLES FORTE Board Member
PETER B FRANK Board Member
EDWARD T GARCIA Board Member
CHESTER A GOUGIS Board Member
GUY L GRONQUIST Board Member
DONNA HANKINSON Board Member
KAREN HENDERSON Board Member
MARITA HINDS Board Member
MARIANNE KAH Board Member
WALTER L KIRCHNER Board Member
MIRANDA Y LIND Board Member
LIDDIE MARTINEZ Board Member
CYNTHIA A MCCREARY Board Member
STEVE MENZIES Board Member
LILLIAN MONTOYA Board Member
SUSAN F MORRIS Board Member
GLENN A OSTERGAARD Board Member
DOMINIC PASCHEL Board Member
ESTEVAN RAEL-GALVEZ Board Member
ROBERTA COOPER RAMO Board Member
CAREY R RAMOS Board Member
MICHAEL ROBBINS Board Member
BRUCE ROSS Board Member
HARRIS SMITH Board Member
IRWIN J SUGARMAN Board Member
ROBERT L TURNER Board Member
CHERYL L WILLMAN Board Member
T PETER TOWNSEND Board Member

Tax year 2023

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ROBERT MEYA Board Member 1.5% of Rev
HARRY BICKET Board Member 0.8% of Rev
HEATHER KEMP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.6% of Rev
ALLISON SWENSON Board Member 0.5% of Rev
MICHAEL GARY Board Member 0.4% of Rev
DAVID LOMELI Artistic Director 0.4% of Rev
CHRISTOPHER HUFNAGEL Board Member 0.4% of Rev
ELIZABETH KELLOGG Board Member 0.4% of Rev
SUSAN G MARINEAU CHAIRMAN
FREDERICK R HAAS VICE CHAIRMAN
LYNN J LOACKER Treasurer
ROBERT VLADEM Board President
SARAH BILLINGHURST SOLOMON Board President
EUGENE STARK JR Board President
DANNEHL TWOMEY Board President
JOHN M HAUPERT Treasurer
DAVID HENRY JACOBS Board President
BRUCE CHEMEL Secretary
MEG BOULWARE Board Member
JOSEPH M BRYAN JR Board Member
J BRUCE BUGG JR Board Member
SUSAN ESCO CHANDLER Board Member
RICHARD H DAVIS Board Member
EIVIND DJUPEDAL Board Member
NANCIE DOMINIC Board Member
REBECCA J DUNCAN Board Member
DAVID F ERTEL Board Member
KRISTINA J FLANAGAN Board Member
A CHARLES FORTE Board Member
PETER B FRANK Board Member
EDWARD T GARCIA Board Member
CHESTER A GOUGIS Board Member
GUY L GRONQUIST Board Member
ANN SHILLING HARRISON Board Member
MARITA HINDS Board Member
DR WALTER L KIRCHNER Board Member
MIRANDA Y LIND Board Member
LIDDIE MARTINEZ Board Member
CYNTHIA MCCREARY Board Member
STEVE MENZIES Board Member
CHARLES MOORE Board Member
SUSAN MORRIS Board Member
GLENN OSTERGAARD Board Member
ESTEVAN RAEL-GALVEZ Board Member
ROBERTA COOPER RAMO Board Member
CAREY RAMOS Board Member
JOHN RIZZO Board Member
BRUCE ROSS Board Member
JAMES SEITZ JR Board Member
HARRIS SMITH Board Member
IRWIN SUGARMAN Board Member
T PETER TOWNSEND Board Member
ROBERT TURNER Board Member

Tax year 2022

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ROBERT MEYA Board Member 1.4% of Rev
BRADLEY WOOLBRIGHT DIR OF Artistic Director 0.6% of Rev
HEATHER KEMP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.5% of Rev
HARRY BICKET Board Member 0.5% of Rev
ALLISON SWENSON Board Member 0.4% of Rev
ALEXANDER NEEF Artistic Director 0.4% of Rev
MICHAEL GARY Board Member 0.4% of Rev
CHRISTOPHER HUFNAGEL Board Member 0.3% of Rev
LIZ KELLOGG Board Member 0.3% of Rev
SUSAN G MARINEAU CHAIRMAN
FREDERICK R HAAS VICE CHAIRMAN
DAVID HENRY JACOBS Board President
ROBERT VLADEM Board President
SARAH BILLINGHURST SOLOMON Board President
DANNEHL TWOMEY Board President
EUGENE STARK JR Board President
LYNN J LOACKER Treasurer
BRUCE CHEMEL Secretary
MEG BOULWARE Board Member
DR JENNE K BRITELL DRIECTOR (THROUGH NOVEMBER 2020)
JOSEPH M BRYAN JR Board Member
J BRUCE BUGG JR Board Member
ERIN BUNKLEY DRIECTOR (THROUGH NOVEMBER 2020)
SUSAN ESCO CHANDLER Board Member
RICHARD H DAVIS Board Member
EIVIND DJUPEDAL Board Member
NANCIE DOMINIC Board Member
REBECCA J DUNCAN Board Member
DAVID F ERTEL Board Member
KRISTINA J FLANAGAN Board Member
A CHARLES FORTE Board Member
PETER B FRANK Board Member
EDWARD T GARCIA Board Member
CHESTER A GOUGIS Board Member
GUY L GRONQUIST Board Member
ANN SHILLING HARRISON Board Member
JOHN M HAUPERT Board Member
DAVID K INGALLS Board Member
DR WALTER L KIRCHNER Board Member
MIRANDA Y LIND Board Member
DR JAMES L LOWRY Board Member
LIDDIE MARTINEZ Board Member
CYNTHIA MCCREARY Board Member
STEVE MENZIES Board Member
CHARLES MOORE Board Member
SUSAN MORRIS Board Member
GLENN OSTERGAARD Board Member
ESTEVAN RAEL-GALVEZ Board Member
ROBERTA COOPER RAMO Board Member
CAREY RAMOS Board Member
JOHN RIZZO Board Member
BRUCE ROSS Board Member
JAMES SEITZ JR Board Member
HARRIS SMITH Board Member
IRWIN SUGARMAN Board Member
T PETER TOWNSEND Board Member
ROBERT TURNER Board Member

Tax year 2021

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ROBERT MEYA Board Member 1.2% of Rev
HARRY BICKET Board Member 0.6% of Rev
PAUL HORPEDAHL Board Member 0.6% of Rev
BRADLEY WOOLBRIGHT Artistic Director 0.5% of Rev
HEATHER KEMP Treasurer 0.5% of Rev
ALEXANDER NEEF Artistic Director 0.4% of Rev
CHARLES MACKAY Board Member 0.4% of Rev
ALLISON SWENSON Board Member 0.4% of Rev
MICHAEL GARY Board Member 0.4% of Rev
LIZ KELLOGG Board Member 0.3% of Rev
BRUCE ROSS Board Member
JAMES R SEITZ JR Board Member
IRWIN J SUGARMAN Board Member
T PETER TOWNSEND Board Member
ROBERT L TURNER Board Member
VERONICA WATSON Board Member
DR ROBERT M ZONE Board Member
SUSAN G MARINEAU CHAIRMAN
FREDERICK R HAAS VICE CHAIRMAN
DAVID HENRY JACOBS Board President
ROBERT J VLADEM Board President
SARAH BILLINGHURST SOLOMON Board President
DANEHL TWOMEY Board President
DR EUGENE E STARK JR Board President
LYNN J LOACKER Treasurer
BRUCE T CHEMEL Secretary
DR JENNE K BRITELL Board Member
JOSEPH M BRYAN JR Board Member
J BRUCE BUGG JR Board Member
ERIN BUNKLEY Board Member
SUSAN ESCO CHANDLER Board Member
RICHARD H DAVIS Board Member
EIVIND K DJUPEDAL Board Member
NANCIE DOMINIC Board Member
DAVID F ERTEL Board Member
KRISTINA J FLANAGAN Board Member
A CHARLES FORTE Board Member
PETER B FRANK Board Member
EDWARD T GARCIA Board Member
AMB DAVID F GIRARD DICARLO Board Member
CHESTER A GOUGIS Board Member
ANN SHILLING HARRISON Board Member
JOHN M HAUPERT Board Member
DAVID K INGALLS Board Member
PHILLIP M JELLEY Board Member
DONNA L KENDALL Board Member
DR WALTER L KIRCHNER Board Member
MIRANDA Y LIND Board Member
DR JAMES L LOWRY Board Member
CYNTHIA A MCCREARY Board Member
DAVID ELLIS MCNEEL Board Member
BETH MOISE Board Member
CHARLES F MOORE Board Member
SUSAN F MORRIS Board Member
DR ESTEVAN RAEL-GALVEZ Board Member
ROBERTA COOPER RAMO Board Member
CAREY R RAMOS Board Member
JOHN F RIZZO 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
70 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
53 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
90 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
69 / 100
Stable

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

Peer comparison

Compared to 51 other orgs in NM with NTEE prefix A6.

Most-divergent component: program score sits 58 points above the peer median (90 vs. 32).

5-year trend: The Founder's Trap

10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.

What's driving this score

What would change this score

No specific high-impact levers identified — this org's score is balanced across components.

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