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 | 49.1% | 40 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2023 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | 41 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 20.1% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | — | 33 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | — | 39 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | — | 43 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | — | 43 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 43 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | — | 41 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2011 | — | — | — | 27 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Vanderbout | Artistic Director | 31.7% of Rev | ||
| Dean Mora | Accompanist | 17.5% of Rev | ||
| Trisha Uhrhammer | Board President | — | ||
| Diane Salter | Board President | — | ||
| Destiny Elazier | Secretary | — | ||
| Marilee Keene | Treasurer | — | ||
| Susan Kim | Board Member | — | ||
| Pam Adcock | Board Member | — | ||
| Frank Montez | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Vanderbout | Artistic Director | 11.4% of Rev | ||
| Dean Mora | Accompanist | 7.7% of Rev | ||
| Jerrold Jones | Webmaster | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| Stan Muther | Board President | — | ||
| Merilee Keene | Board President | — | ||
| Cheryl Podesta | Secretary | — | ||
| Catherine Nickeson | Treasurer | — | ||
| Robert Schaevitz-Left 12-2020 | Treasurer | — | ||
| Diane Salter | Board Member | — | ||
| Gary Varney | Board Member | — | ||
| Rosemarie Felver | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 830 other orgs in CA with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 22 points above the peer median (55 vs. 33).
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 49.1% is well above the sector's 90th percentile (healthy band: 18–22%).
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 49.1% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~40 points.
- 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.