Executive Director

Are you passionate about America's river heritage and would you like to be part of an exciting initiative that will showcase our region's multicultural community? Do you have experience overseeing, promoting, and executing a world-class event? Would you consider yourself an expert in managing many priorities and serving as the conductor of a very diverse team of leaders, performers, staff, and volunteers?

Centennial is seeking a highly motivated and entrepreneurial Executive Director to lead a major regional initiative along the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. A successful event will be nationally recognized for its music, culture, and cuisine, and be able to be replicated in the future.

The ideal candidate is motivated by working closely with top leaders in government, business, and non-profits from the region. The candidate needs to be passionate, detail-oriented, able to cultivate meaningful relationships, and excel at project management. If you are ready to help create an experience to showcase and celebrate our region's river roots, keep reading!

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Deliver a memorable multi-day event in October 2025, filled with a variety of music, culture, and cuisine
• Complement and work collaboratively with an executive committee
• Manage partner relations in a way that provides great ROI for everyone involved
• Develop and implement strategies that engage a diverse regional audience, attract national visitors, and draw international media attention
• Manage a highly motivated, talented group of marketing professionals tasked with executing a multi-faceted marketing plan
• Engage and leverage prominent businesses and civic leaders
• Be a key motivator, enthusiast and promoter for this event
• Conduct an executive committee retreat with good consensus and camaraderie
• Orchestrate many moving parts while maintaining a timeline and staying within financial parameters
• Report out on successful outcomes of the event and complete all duties of the role by December 31, 2025

• Strong event management experience
• History of successful financial management of events/projects/departments
• Previous leadership role in a multi-million-dollar campaign - event, product, or program development
• Startup experience
• Business savvy and comfortable interacting with government and business leaders
• Entrepreneurial with the courage to pursue ideas with no clear path or means of support
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills
• Upbeat and passionate about the diversity and history of this region
• Able to effectively and respectfully collaborate with an executive committee that is committed and energetic
• Able to build out and manage a team of staff and volunteers
• Competent in managing all the components of a large-scale event
• Knowledgeable of marketing disciplines and the necessary elements of executing a marketing strategy
• Committed to delivering excellence
• Able to grasp a vision and leverage available resources to accomplish the vision
• Able to work remotely and in an office environment