Dear LRAC friends,
With a combination of excitement for the future and nostalgia, I am officially announcing that I will be retiring as Lake Region Arts Council’s Executive Director on July 1, 2024.
I have always said that being the Executive Director of LRAC was the perfect job and I still feel that way. I love being a part of an organization that helps so many people in so many different ways and I am incredibly grateful to work with truly amazing coworkers, board members, and arts connected friends. Believe me, I gave retiring a lot of thought before I made my decision.
I thought about what I learned during COVID, and that was we are not guaranteed the future. I really want to spend more time with my husband and my family. I also thought about wanting to go on new adventures and try new things. I love what I do, but 20 plus years is a long time! I am ready to step out and see what life has to offer. I always encourage my grandkids to live in a large world, to travel, see things, and meet new people. That’s pretty good advice for me too.
I want to assure everyone that LRAC’s Board of Directors, Great Outcomes Consulting, and I have been working for the last year to make sure the transition of leadership is smooth, efficient, and that our work will continue without disruption. I want to thank the LRAC Executive Committee, Mary Beth Gilsdorf, Jon Solinger, Jenny Nellis, Marit Salveson, past LRAC Board member Jeff Merrick and Leann Wolf, consultant, for their many hours of strategic planning to make sure the transition goes well.
Watch for more emails from LRAC detailing when we will open the position and the application process. It is our hope to have the new Director identified by June.
We will be inviting everyone to the LRAC Annual Meeting in July to celebrate my retirement and welcome the new director. The date and location to be determined. I hope you will join us for a very special evening.
With gratitude and respect,
