Board of Trustees names Deborah S. Brant Interim President and CEO
Cincinnati, OH (September 28, 2023) – Cincinnati Ballet’s Board of Trustees announced today that President and CEO Scott Altman will depart the organization. Mr. Altman, who joined Cincinnati Ballet in August 2016, will assume the role of President and CEO of Los Angeles Master Chorale effective January 2024. Mr. Altman will remain as Cincinnati Ballet’s President and CEO through the end of the calendar year to ensure a smooth transition. The Board also announced the
appointment of Deborah S. Brant as Interim President and CEO effective January 1, 2024, as the Board searches for a permanent replacement. Ms. Brant is the current Chair of The Cincinnati Ballet Foundation, former Chair of the Cincinnati Ballet Board of Trustees, and led the capital campaign committee that secured funding to construct the new Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills.
“We thank Scott for his incredible leadership during a period of monumental growth and transformation at Cincinnati Ballet,” said Board of Trustees Chair Joel Stone. “From the construction of an iconic new home to the implementation of record-setting operating budgets, Scott had led Cincinnati Ballet to unprecedented new heights. We wish him well in the future and look forward to collaborating with our colleague Debbie Brant as Interim President and CEO. For many years, Debbie has fostered a deep and meaningful relationship with Cincinnati Ballet and has been one of the organization’s biggest supporters. This is a natural step for Debbie and the organization.”
“After seven and a half years as leader of this remarkable Company, I feel confident in the stability of Cincinnati Ballet,” said Mr. Altman. “This is a good point to hand over leadership and move into the next phase of my own journey. I want to thank the amazing Cincinnati Ballet team for their dedication, innovation, and creativity. I applaud the Board for choosing Debbie as my interim successor. Debbie is a thoughtful and capable leader with a passion for the art form, who is already deeply committed to the success of Cincinnati Ballet. I will be working closely with Debbie and the Board of Trustees over the next three months to ensure a seamless transition.” “I am honored that the Board has chosen me to steward Cincinnati Ballet as Interim President and CEO,” said Ms. Brant. “I will be working side-by-side with Scott, the Board, and the talented administrative and artistic teams over the next three months to learn how I can best support this incredible Company.”
CINCINNATI BALLET BY THE NUMBERS:
- FY2024-2025 Approved Budget – $13.1 Million
- Endowment Balance – $14.997 Million
- Main Company Dancers – 29; Second Company CB2 Dancers – 10
MORE ABOUT SCOTT ALTMAN: Scott Altman assumed the role of President and CEO if Cincinnati Ballet in 2016. Cincinnati Ballet has reached many noteworthy milestones, among them, the construction of the 62,000 square foot, $32 million Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance; more than tripling asset growth to $75 million; implementation of record-breaking operating budgets exceeding $13 million; a dynamic new logo and brand identity; record-breaking ticket sales; the launch of a highly successful annual Family Series; and as expanded Academy and community and education programs. During his tenure, Altman was honored for three consecutive years by Cincinnati Magazine in its Cincinnati 300— a compilation of the city’s top three hundred executives. He has served as Trustee on the Board of DanceUSA and as its Executive Managers’ Council Chair, Trustee on the Board of Creative Ohio, and member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Altman has been
featured guest speaker for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Americans for the Arts and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
MORE ABOUT DEBORAH S. BRANT: Deborah S. Brant is the current Chair of The Cincinnati Ballet Foundation, former chair of the Cincinnati Ballet Board of Trustees, and led the capital campaign committee that secured funding to construct the 62,000 square foot, $32 million Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills. Ballet has been an important part of Debbie’s life since her childhood in Akron, Ohio. She started ballet lessons at age nine, beginning a life-long love of the artform. Debbie graduated from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts where she studied American Studies and Art History. She went on to create a successful fundraising career that included work in Washington, D.C. and New York City as a fundraiser and grants writer for The Kennedy Center | National Symphony Orchestra, as well as a fundraising consultant for New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Jacob’s
Pillow, among others. Debbie moved to Cincinnati in 1998 where she continued as a fundraising consultant for Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Prospect House, and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. In addition to her tireless philanthropic work for Cincinnati Ballet, Debbie is also a former Board Chair of the Mayerson JCC, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, and board member for Most Valuable Kids of Cincinnati, Inc. (MVK). Brant is a past recipient of The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Women of the Year Award, the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Cincinnati Chapter, And Volunteer of the Year Award from the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.
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