The Pavilion still ‘Strangely Silent’ about the recent turnover

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The Washington Pavilion still has not ‘publicly’ said why their development director suddenly left. And while the curator left because of another job opportunity, one wonders why she wanted ‘out’.

I have heard many, many versions as to why this turnover has happened, but since I don’t have an attorney on retainer, unless someone from Pavilion management is willing to go on record with me, I will keep the rumors and gossip to myself.

But the one question still remains. Why does a non-profit like the Pavilion, who receives subsidies from the city, the state and the Feds refuse to say ‘anything’ about the recent disappearance of their Development Director? No press releases, no replacement ads, nothing, zilch.

I encourage anyone who is either a member of the Pavilion, or knows any of the directors, to ask them in person, or drop them a line. Why all the secrecy?

 Management Team  (605) 367-7397 Ext  Email address
President: Larry Toll 2309 ltoll@washingtonpavilion.org
Vice President of Finance: Jane Hathaway 2310 jhathaway@washingtonpavilion.org
Director, Community Learning Center: Rose Ann Hofland 2350 rhofland@washingtonpavilion.org
Director, Kirby Science Discovery Center: Erica Lacey 2373 elacey@washingtonpavilion.org
Vice President of Operations:  Jon Loos 2312 jloos@washingtonpavilion.org
Director, Visual Arts Center: David Merhib 2349 dmerhib@washingtonpavilion.org
Manager Husby Performing Arts Center: Regina Ruhberg 2344 rruhberg@washingtonpavilion.org
Patron Services Manager: John Seitz 2343 jseitz@washingtonpavilion.org
Director, Marketing & Communications: Michele Wellman 2306 mwellman@washingtonpavilion.org
Sales Department
Account Executive: Ben Gutnik 2413 bgutnik@washingtonpavilion.org
Event’s Department
Events Coordinator: Britney Boomer 2345 bboomer@washingtonpavilion.org
Lead Events Coordinator: Allyson Kasch 2363 akasch@washingtonpavilion.org
Events Coordinator: Sarah Lovre 2317 slovre@washingtonpavilion.org

More turnover at the Washington Pavilion

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Another key employee is leaving the Pavilion, the curator. And as you can see, the Development Director’s job is still NOT listed.

As I started looking into the sudden Departure of the Development Director, I also heard rumors about similar trouble in the Visual Arts Center.

As of right now, I can’t really say what is going on with these recent departures (except that the curator did find another job on her own and is resigning by her own free will because of the new job). Also there hasn’t been any clear story presented to me, yet.

I am hoping Pavilion Management will present the public with a full disclosure about the recent departures.

I know some people think I am posting about this stuff because I have ‘it in for’ the Pavilion, but to tell you the truth, consider the Pavilion receives public subsidies, not just from the taxpayers of Sioux Falls, but from the state and the Federal Government.

There needs to be some explanations. SOON!

I also want to remind my readers if you have heard ‘similar’ rumors to please refrain from commenting on them here, please send me a personal email.

Why did the Pavilion’s Development Director suddenly leave?

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Seems a little ODD that someone who has been doing the job for almost 6 years just suddenly leaves without a peep from Pavilion management. She has also been removed from there management page with NO replacement listed.

According to Allison’s professional page;

Director of Development

Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science

Nonprofit; 51-200 employees; Museums and Institutions industry

September 2007– May 2013 (5 years 9 months)

Responsible for creating and implementing the annual Development Plan.  Work with a wonderful team of 5 full-time employees who coordinate grant writing, membership recruitment/retention, donations, special projects and volunteers.  They are simply the joy of my professional life.  Contribute over $1,000,000 toward the operating budget of the Washington Pavilion.  Commited to providing quality experiences for all the patrons of the Pavilion.  Proudly a member of thePavilion’s Director Management Team.

Usually when a high-profile management person leaves the Pavilion there is at least some kind of an announcement. Allison’s job was very important, she was in charge of bringing in grant money, donations and other subsidies to the Pavilion. This is not position that just goes away quietly in the night.

Maybe I am misinformed and missed a media piece about it or a press release. If so, please forward it to me, I would like to clarify her departure. The Pavilion had a rough year in 2012, wondering if there is a piece of the puzzle we are missing here?

 

So just how much will be have to subsidize the Events Center?

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Not sure if you caught the story in the AL today about the Pavilion’s financials in 2012, but it didn’t paint a pretty picture about entertainment facilities in this town. Normally, the Great Hall at the Pavilion is a good money maker for them. Not so much last year. Ticket sales were down $290,000 in 2012 compared to 2011. Remember, this is a 1,900 seat facility, not a 12,000 seat facility.

My concerns about building a new Event Center has always been about how much we will have to support it. The Pavilion gets a $1.4 million dollar subsidy from the city each year. Can you imagine what kind of subsidy we will have to throw towards the Event Center?

I was talking to a local ‘journalist’ the other day about the possibility of Huether’s 2nd mayoral term (I still think he is running for governor, or at least exploring it). The one ‘good’ thing about a 2nd reign of terror by Huether is that when the subsidy numbers start rolling in, he would be in the middle of his second term, and he will have to do a lot of explaining about the profitability of the Event Center.

Can the EC do better then the Pavilion? Sure. But the Pavilion has been around for 12 years, and when your ‘money maker’ within your facility takes a hit like $290,000 in one year due to low ticket sales, you have to start questioning if the ticket sales will be there with the EC.

I felt all along we should have just dumped $20 million into the existing Arena and remodel it to look like a new facility instead of building an over-sized new facility.

You also have to factor in all the other competing sports entertainment facility that are popping up around town like pimples on a teenagers face. This will take sales away from the EC to.

We should have seen this a mile away.

SF Arts Council changes leadership to full-time. Why?

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I’m taking over so Nan Baker can ‘spend more time with her family.’ *(The standard excuse for regime change.)

Got this email today;

The Board of Directors of the Sioux Falls Arts Council today announced that Tim Hoheisel has been named Executive Director of the non-profit arts organization.  Nan Baker, part-time Arts Council Executive Director since 2010, is transitioning out of the position to spend more time with her family.  Hoheisel will become the full-time Executive Director on July 2.

Huh? I thought that the SE Arts Council’s problem was they had to pay a couple of people to run the joint, so now all of a sudden they are hiring a full-time person? To do what? Send out a monthly newsletter? Can I be his assistant? Can I also have a wet bar and futon in my office?