What first got you interested in city government and in arts and events ? I landed in this career field purely by accident . I was working in a local city government finance department , and it didn ’ t take long to feel that my creativity was being stifled by the mountains of paperwork . My name was mistakenly not taken off that city ’ s departmental job register , and I was called for an interview in its cultural arts facility . It was a perfect fit for me , and the rest is history . I ’ ve been in this field for 24 years and cannot imagine doing anything else .
What has been the impact of your work so far ?
Our goal of elevating existing events and creating a variety of new ones around what our patrons want has proven very successful . Data show that our event attendance had record numbers this past year and included our own citizens and those from surrounding communities . And we are very proud to be working in collaboration with the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce to implement a mural program .
What ’ s the benefit of a packed event schedule for a city ? The benefits of a wellrounded , full events schedule are multi-faceted . Events enrich the lives of our citizens , and it has been proven that arts , culture and humanities are vital to a thriving community . Premier , quality events can also help with branding a city and increase tourism dollars while bringing innovation and diversity . There is a quantitative economic impact directly tied to event programming that positively affects businesses . Cultural events are a win / win for everyone !
What do you enjoy most about your job ?
I ’ m a people person , and I really enjoy being out in our community and interacting with our citizens . I ’ ve learned so much this past year from just listening to their thoughts , concerns and opinions .
What accomplishment are you most proud of ?
On the work side , it would have to be the creation of our new community arts facility , The Art Mill . This multi-purpose building hosts gallery space to showcase local artists and their work , a visual arts classroom , a music classroom and meeting space for arts organizations and civic groups . I ’ m also proud of the increased participation in our City events .
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