TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Catching the Bakersfield Symphony's new development director is a challenge, as she travels from meeting to meeting to garner support for the 80-year-old orchestra.

Renee Goodwin took over as a full-time fundraiser for the BSO on Nov. 1, replacing Michael Chertok, who has kept the orchestra solvent during the economic downturn of the last few years. Goodwin's goals include rebuilding support and restoring some of the concerts the orchestra had been forced to cut to stay in the black.

"I would really like to see us double our donor base," Goodwin said.

Goodwin moved to Bakersfield from East Lansing, Mich. in January 2004 to work as a manager for several school construction projects. She said that during her interviews for that job, she was able to attend several community events, and they impressed her enough to make the move.

"I thought that Bakersfield had a very large sense of community and a very generous spirit," Goodwin said.

That sense of community also inspired Goodwin to make a move to nonprofit organizations.

"If you want to make a life somewhere then you have to become part of the community, so I started doing nonprofit work," Goodwin said.

Goodwin said her local nonprofit experience has taught her that there is a big opportunity for the orchestra to recruit more donors, as many organizations have as many as twice the supporters as BSO.

With more support comes the ability to restore some of the cuts in the orchestra's offerings, including expanding educational offerings and concerts in outlying areas. Over the last few years, the orchestra has been forced to reduce its activity to its subscription concerts and the semi-annual Young People's Concerts for Kern County schoolchildren, losing chamber concerts, the New Directions concerts, and Academic Decathlon, brown bag, Patriots Day and holiday pops concerts along the way.

In addition to recruiting more donors, she is also looking for grant opportunities and sponsors for specific events.

"One of the things I want to do is change the October (Young People's) concert to a cultural heritage event, so it can be cross-taught with social studies and music," Goodwin said.

She said she hopes to get a sponsor for that event, plus one for some brown bag concerts, and is currently in negotiations for a sponsor for another event she hopes to publicize soon.

"The orchestra is in its 80th season," Goodwin said. "I think that a lot of people just take it for granted that it's been here and it's always going to be here.

"But it's a nonprofit and nonprofits survive on donations," Goodwin said.