It was only a matter of time...
Back in March, I knew it wasn't the last of the departures.
Late Friday, Department of Cultural Affairs General Manager Margie Reese announced her departure later this summer. Rumor is she is going to be taking a new position with the Ford Foundation working in relation to the Arts in Africa. Could it be she'll be joining Trust Africa?
This leaves yet another GM position for our Mayor to fill. This particular post has always been controversial from the time of Al Nodal due to competing arts interests and the management of a budget that is never big enough. Will they appoint an arts advocate who is "pro arts and culture" only or a department manager who understands the arts but knows how to run a department effectively, regardless of which department? This is the fine line of running a department like Cultural Affairs and could make the appointment more interesting than who takes over DONE, depending on how the Mayor handles it.
Remember, it was the arts community just a few years ago that raised hell for former-Mayor Hahn when they perceived arts funding would be eliminated or reduced in the budget of 2004/2005. What will their reaction be to this Mayor's new GM?
2 comments:
Thank God! It's about time she left. It's a tough position to fill, but what they really need is an excellent manager who has vision and who will actually listen to their staff.
I agree with Zach. Los Angeles is the cultural and entertainment capital of the world. It needs a Cultural Affairs leader with vision and someone who will inspire staff and tirelessly advocate for the arts community.
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