Strong, Savvy and Successful: A Q&A with Texas Performing Arts Director Kathy Panoff

The words fierce, fearless and fabulous have described notable women throughout American history – Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Oprah Winfrey, among so many others.
 
If you thought you could only learn about confident and courageous women in your history textbook, think again! Kathy Panoff, the director and associate dean of Texas Performing Arts, is one of those women, making an impact through her passion for the arts. Take a second to pause, grab a notebook and your favorite pen, because Kathy Panoff has shared her tips for being a strong, savvy and successful woman with HerCampus Texas.
 
HCTX: How did you get involved in the performing arts?
 
I was a musician in high school. I went to the College Conservatory [of Music] in Cincinnati. I taught in Norfolk, Va. and also played in the symphony. I then went back to Cincinnati and became the first woman band teacher in Cincinnati.
 
I wound up teaching in the Dallas schools here in Texas. I really loved teaching – it was really very natural for me. You learn as a band director or music teacher or ensemble conductor, that, in addition to the artistic piece of what you do, there are a lot of logistical pieces that go with it … I found that I actually liked the diversity of the artistic side of it and the management side.
 
I went to Boston to work at a Play Presenting Series, like we have here at Texas, and eventually it landed me at the University of Richmond and we opened a $25 million arts center. It was frightening and great to start a new enterprise at Richmond. I found that working in this field allowed me to use my good administration and business skills, my artistic passions and also allowed me to teach. I started an arts management program and was there for 13 years, and now here I am!
 
HCTX: You are the director and associate dean of Texas Performing Arts. What exactly do you do in that position?
 
Last year, I taught an upper division performing arts management class, looking at accounting, fundraising, marketing and internships for non-profit arts organizations. [But] a lot of what I do is managing this very big and very complex business. It’s not only my job to be the public face of the organization, but, we are actively and intentionally seeking partnerships with places all over campus, not just in the arts. We are engaging faculty and students, and we have really made the academic mission of the University a tool of the coursework.
 
Part of our job, whether you are in a university or not, is to cultivate the next generation of leaders, with great intention, as a true mentor. Our work here at TPA is really committed to doing that.
 
HCTX: What is your favorite part about the arts?
 
I love that the field is so complex and rich and is so multidimensional; I think a lot of people assume the arts are what you see on the stage – it’s much more than that. Do I think it’s more important than anything else? Absolutely not. Do I think it cures cancer? Not necessarily. But it speaks to the quality of the human spirit and the ability to feel.
 
The arts create a wonderful opportunity to explore difficult issues in a safe environment. How many things can shake you up, piss you off and give you joy at the same time? I’m okay if someone comes to the venue and says “that sucked.” Good! I’m glad you have an opinion! Just don’t not come. Get here and see things! I think my job and the whole organization’s job is to take what is on the stage and have conversation about it; it helps to keep our intellect on its toes.
 
HCTX: Any other inspirations?
I feel like I’ve always been inspired by my students. I know that sounds like a stock answer, but it makes me a better person, keeps me curious! What I have come to know about myself and the best quality about me as a manager is what I learned as a teacher in the classroom. You know – how to motivate, offer constructive criticism and praise, how to keep people with a positive attitude … I really believe in collaborative work and creating a team.
 
HCTX: What are some tips for success for our collegiettes™?
Don’t put your education in someone else’s hands! Don’t put your career in someone else’s hands! College is a tool; your faculty members are helpers of that tool, but at the end of the day, you are the one who is going to get you to the goal of where you want to go. Blaze your own path; the most successful people I know went after it. So, listen more than you talk, give more than you take, and work really hard to leave any given campsite better than you found it.