Austin, Texas … Telluride, Colorado … New York City.
Newark, New Jersey?
Lisa Schroeder laughs at the path her career has taken, one that has placed her in
some of the most desirable locations in the country.
But as she begins her second week at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, serving
as its new chief financial officer and chief administrative officer — a role she calls a
dream job — she says the city of Newark itself was part of the pull across the river.
To be clear, she knew very little about Newark or New Jersey before considering the
position. But during the recruitment process, CEO John Schreiber made a compelling
case and the city closed the deal.
“I’ll be honest, I had only been through Newark on my way to the airport,” she said. “I
never knew what was going on here. When I came to interview for the first time, I said,
‘Wow, this is impressive.’”
She was even more struck by how strongly the state supports the city.
“I was not only impressed; I was influenced by the number of really great people who
support Newark,” she said. “I’ve always been a fan of Cory Booker and a huge fan of
Mikie Sherrill. They talk the talk. And the city, state, and federal funding has made a
difference.”
She said the same about NJPAC’s broader vision for an arts district, anchored by the
Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center — not to mention the $50
million gift from Leon and Toby Cooperman that will endow the center’s social impact
programs.
“I feel like arts education and Newark’s transformation are touching so many
communities,” Schroeder said. “What we can do with the Cooperman Center will really
open up the arts in a transformative way.”
***
Schreiber, a longtime champion of Newark, loves hearing this. Even more, he’s thrilled
to have someone with Schroeder’s financial and organizational strengths as NJPAC
pushes into a pivotal phase.
The chief administrative officer role is new. In it, Schroeder will work across
departments to oversee finances, advance strategic planning, and support the
institution’s growing social impact work.
These responsibilities come at a critical time. In 2027, NJPAC will open the Cooperman
Center — a new home for its Arts Education, Community Engagement, and Arts & Well-Being programs — while also launching the ArtSide residential development on its
campus and Lionsgate Newark, the state’s first purpose-built film and television
production studio.
NJPAC’s growth has been dramatic: Its budget has expanded from $25 million in 2011
to roughly $75 million today, with nearly $8 million annually dedicated to social impact
programming. Schreiber said Schroeder will help ensure that work continues
sustainably.
“Part of Lisa’s brief will be to workshop ways we can seamlessly integrate our robust
social impact spend into the Arts Center’s broader business model,” he said. “The
volume of free programming and low-cost community-focused initiatives NJPAC
presents each season is financially challenging.
“Lisa’s unique skill set will help ensure those programs are sustainable while amplifying
their impact for years to come.”
Schroeder joined NJPAC after more than a decade in leadership roles at Lincoln
Center, including VP of finance — overseeing budgeting, reporting, and analysis —
before being elevated to chief administrative officer.
And while she has always loved the arts and storytelling, she said her own role is best
described as the behind-the-scenes organizer.
“I like to say I’m the linear thinker underneath all the creativity,” she said. “They’ve just
finished a strategic plan that’s really lofty and great, and I can help them ignore
distractions and stick to it.
“I’m not the person who’s going to come up with lots of new ideas. I’m going to help
people achieve the plans they have. I’ve spent a lot of time working with sponsorship
and development, so I can help pull departments together and say, ‘This is our priority,
let’s align behind it and cut out the noise.’”
***
Schroeder speaks fondly of her upbringing and schooling in Austin and lovingly of her
time in Telluride. And anyone who knew her at Lincoln Center knows how much she
cherished being able to walk to work.
It’s why she initially declined several approaches from a recruiter about “this new job in
Newark.”
“I’ll admit, I didn’t know a lot about NJPAC,” she said. “My focus had always been on
Lincoln Center. And I loved the work I did there and the people I worked with.”
Then, she said, a friend encouraged her to take a closer look at Newark and at
NJPAC’s expanding role in the community.
That led to a meeting with Schreiber and, well …
“John is very engaging and very persuasive,” she said.
Soon, she saw the bigger picture.
“Everything Newark is doing in that ward is beautiful and impactful,” she said. “As we
increase the population of residential housing there, more people are going to be out
and about, enjoying our outdoor programming and everything we offer.
“It’s going to be good for the community and for commercial real estate. It’s going to
have an exponential effect as things continue to grow — and I think it’s really going to
change the face of Newark in a positive way.”
It certainly changed her view.
“This was a pull, not a push,” she said.
One strong enough to convince her to swap a morning stroll for a one-hour commute, at
least for now.
And that commute may eventually disappear. A move to Newark is very much on the
table, Schroeder said.
“It’s a daily conversation in my household, so it’s certainly a possibility,” she said.
“Newark is becoming more and more attractive to me every day.”
