Chair, Summer Series at the Amphitheater, Volunteer Park Trust

Volunteer Park Trust is seeking an experienced community volunteer to lead our annual summer concert program, the Summer Series at the Amphitheater. This is a volunteer position heading up a committee of like-minded volunteers who help plan, fund-raise for and execute these free, live music community events. Our current Summer Series Chair will be departing after the 2026 series and the new Chair will have the opportunity to shadow her work this year and learn the ropes while developing a vision for the series moving forward.

The team includes a paid concert producer who selects the talent and manages production. as well as our Summer Series coordinator, a paid part-time summer position, and Events Committee.The chair provides oversight and is primarily responsible for fundraising (from corporate sponsors, donors and grants) to support the Summer Series as a self-sustaining offering from the Trust..

This volunteer position offers the opportunity to work closely with a top music festival producer in Seattle, learn about upcoming and established artists being considered for the calendar, explore grant and public funding opportunities for the Series, and work with large and small businesses around the Seattle region to sponsor the event. The rewards of your efforts will be immediately displayed each summer as over 13,000 members of the community experience six free summer concerts and express their gratitude to the Trust in person, via email and through individual donations.

Responsibilities include:

• Organizing a monthly virtual meeting of stakeholders to track planning process and assign tasks
• Securing and working closely with the music producer to select a diverse roster of performers who will engage the audience and provide family-friendly entertainment
• Soliciting donors and corporate sponsors, and coordinating others’ efforts, to raise approximately $110k each season for the Series
• Maintaining a working project status report and funds tracker to provide insight to the VPT steering committee on the Series’ progress and performance
• Project management of the overall series including securing dates and permits
• Working closely with our marketing chair and outside vendors to create posters, press announcements and other materials to publicize the series, its sponsors and the efforts of the Trust
• Committed hours are flexible and typically require about 5 hours/month during the offseason and up to 20 hours/month from January through May as preparations are finalized. Note that day-of event logistics are managed by our Event Committee, Concert Producer and Summer Series coordinator; your participation is encouraged but not required over the six weeks of performances

Entering its fifth season in 2026, the Summer Series offers six weekly concerts on Thursday evenings from early July to mid August, 6-8:30 pm. Each concert features an opening act and headliner, outstanding sound engineering, and a festive atmosphere of picnickers, music lovers and community. All concerts are open to the public and free for attendees. The Series averaged about 2,000 attendees at each performance in 2025 and has become an essential part of summers in the park for the community and for the artists we support.

Volunteer Park Trust is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization founded in 2012 with the mission to preserve and enhance this city and national landmark for today and for generations to come. As part of our work, we look to activate the park and bring the community together through a number of events each year, including our Summer Series, a Halloween Pet Parade and a Holiday in the Park celebration. We provide additional stewardship of the park, assisting Seattle Parks & Recreation's efforts, through monthly work parties and twice annual Park Restoration Days.

Volunteer Park Trust operates through subcommittees that plan and execute our efforts in the park: Capital Projects, Landscape, Events, Summer Series Development, Marketing and Emerging Leaders. The trust is governed by a Steering Committee (rather than a board), which typically consists of 12 members including the chair, vice chair and treasurer, the chair of each subcommittee, plus additional committee members from our volunteer roster. The Summer Series chair has typically served as an adjunct member of the Steering Committee but can also be considered to join officially.

Applicants interested in this important volunteer position should apply via Idealist.

For more information on the Trust, visit https://www.volunteerparktrust.org/