Jim Wooster, Executive Director of Passim, announced that he will retire from the Cambridge music venue in early 2025. Wooster has served as executive director for nearly a decade and helped strengthen the legendary arts non-profit,  creating new initiatives and setting the organization up for continued success. A search is underway now for his replacement.

Wooster was already very familiar with Passim when he took over in 2015. He had been attending shows at the club since the mid-80s and even performed there a few times with various bands. Wooster joined the Passim board in 2012 and became clerk in 2013. He would go on to lead the organization as Executive Director, helping navigate the club through the pandemic, increasing total revenue of the club and boosting contributed revenue by 7% over his tenure, and helped the club celebrate 60 years with a concert in Boston’s Shubert Theatre in 2019.

One of Wooster’s biggest achievements during his tenure has been to expand the organization's mission to nurture artists at all stages of their career. During the pandemic, Passim launched the PEAR Fund, which has distributed $205,000 to artists via grants. He has laid the groundwork for a more vibrant, inclusive and equitable music community. Through the creation of the artist-led Folk Collective, Passim is leveraging its legacy to create a future folk music scene that authentically represents a wide range of voice, themes, and artistic expressions.

Wooster has set the club up for future success by recruiting a strong board and staff dedicated to weaving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout all of the organization’s strategic priorities. He has helped expand food offerings including Live Music Brunch from the in-house kitchen, launched a new website and ticketing platform, and given the club a cosmetic makeover.

"Passim has thrived during Jim’s tenure as Executive Director,” said Annie Bartlett, Passim Board Chair. “With Jim’s leadership and dedication to Passim, we have kept the music playing, built the incredible community we have today, and positioned Passim for a vibrant and inclusive future.”

Wooster will stay on in his current role as the search for his replacement is underway.