Metro Arts Leadership Executive Committee Meeting - January 15, 2025
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Metro Arts Leadership Executive Committee Meeting - January 15, 2025
The Leadership Executive Committee of the Metro Nashville Arts Commission met on January 15, 2025, at 6:15 PM to address critical agenda items including the conciliation agreement, the FY25 grant cycle, and the vacancy for interim executive director following the resignation of Dr. Coleman. The committee discussed staff vacancies, grant timelines, and operational support, and voted to recommend Ashley Batchelder as interim executive director.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were submitted or presented during the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Conciliation Agreement Review: Director Tucker introduced the review, noting it is the last significant piece of the agreement. He recognized staff Tessa Ortiz and Ashley Batchelder for compiling the materials, and thanked Commissioner Lefkowitz for contributions. Chair West emphasized proceeding in good faith.
- FY25 Grant Cycle Update: Commissioner Lefkowitz reported on the first grants committee meeting of the newly constituted committee. Policy gaps and timeline adjustments were discussed. A revised timeline was adopted as a policy recommendation to expedite funding to artists and organizations. The committee recommended delegating Commissioner Lefkowitz to work with staff to finalize and file legislation by Friday at noon.
- Interim Executive Director Vacancy: Director Hall explained that following Dr. Coleman's resignation, an interim executive director is critical given the grant cycle and other operational needs. He proposed Ashley Batchelder as the only viable candidate, noting her internal knowledge of Metro processes, relationships with key departments (Metro Legal, Metro Finance), and prior work on the conciliation agreement and grant process. Batchelder expressed willingness to serve if appointed. Director Tucker voiced mixed feelings but strong support, emphasizing the importance of equitable distribution of public resources.
- Staff Operations and Vacancies: Director Hall outlined the status of open positions: Finance Administrator (39 qualified applicants, 14 top-tier), Public Information Manager (45 qualified, 17 top-tier), and Public Art Coordinator (to be reposted due to administrative error). He noted that having an executive director is key to advancing hiring. Commissioner Harden inquired about temporary support during the transition; Director Hall indicated that internal candidates like Batchelder could expedite processes. Chair West raised concerns about the budget cycle and the need for finance support.
- Commission’s Policy Role: Tessa Ortiz clarified that the commission sets policy, and the director operationalizes it. She advised using policy to provide clear directives and recommended reviewing the annual report submitted to council to ensure fund release.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Recommend Ashley Batchelder as Interim Executive Director: Motion by Commissioner Harden, seconded by Commissioner Lefkowitz. Passed unanimously. The recommendation will go to the full commission for a vote on January 16, 2025.
- Delegation of Grants Criteria: Commissioner Lefkowitz was delegated to work with staff to finalize and file amendments to grant legislation by Friday, January 17, 2025, at noon, pending full commission approval.
- Grant Timeline Adoption: The grants committee adopted a revised timeline for the FY25 grant cycle, which will be presented to the full commission for approval.
- Staff Hiring Next Steps: Director Hall indicated that with an executive director in place, interviews for Finance Administrator and Public Information Manager could begin as early as the following week, with potential hires within a month. The Public Art position will be reposted and prior candidates invited to reapply.
- Annual Report Review: The committee discussed the annual report submitted by Dr. Coleman to council. It was agreed to send the report to the full commission for review and potential edits to ensure the release of grant funds.
Meeting Transcript
Leadership executive committee. So if we can just kind of we have vice chair Tray Harden. Yes, Trey Harden. And me, Campbell West, Chair, and Heather Lefkowitz Secretary. Thank you. And then immediate vice or immediate chair, past chair Lee Love is not here today, correct? Thank you. That is correct. Okay, then we can move on. I want to welcome everybody. Vivian, did we have any public comment that was sent over prior to the meeting? At this time, we do not have any public comments. If um we missed any or if anything came in late, I will send those over uh to the committee as soon as I can go check again. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Do we have anyone here for public comment? We have no one signed up today for public comment. Thank you very much. Okay, I think we'll move on because we don't have minutes to approve from the last meeting. We approved the last executive at a commission meeting, so we're we don't have any to approve today. Excellent. Thank you so much. I want to welcome everybody, welcome everybody that's here behind us and all the departments and staff. Thank you all so much. Um we are moving into item C items for discussion and approval. First, we will start with the conciliation agreement review, and that will be Ashley Bashelder with MHRC. I'm gonna do it. Oh, delegating to Director Tucker. We're gonna follow the good morning. Um this morning at your grants committee meeting, uh Ashley did a detailed PowerPoint. Uh that PowerPoint is in your possession now. And uh I just wanted to make uh a couple comments. One, if you got any questions um during the course of the meeting, you know, Ashley's here to do that. But um, I just want to say that this is the last significant piece of the conciliation agreement, and uh we're grateful to get it to this point. But I want to recognize the individual work of Tessa Ortiz and Ashley Batchelder and actually creating what is being presented to you. Uh I just felt it's necessary. Well, and I don't want to leave out Commissioner Lecker and her contributions, but to um these two staff, what you're gonna be going through was compiled, put together by them. And so I'm grateful for that. And again, as we go through this and wishing you well on in and on into the future, MHRC, one of our concerns is the equitable distribution of public resources. I say that all the time, all the time, and we're committed to that, and we think that this product that will be presented to you uh speaks to those commitments and it fulfill our interpretation of what the conciliation agreement is. Thank you, madam chair. Thank you, Director Tucker. And I'd like to echo thanks to Tessa, thanks to Ashley, thanks to Commissioner Lefkowitz for everything that you all have done, and uh look forward to proceeding in good faith. At this time, let's see, uh, let's go on into number two review of fiscal year 25 grant cycle to date. As you all know, we just finished a grants meeting prior to this meeting, and so if we can go ahead and move into that with Commissioner Lefkowitz. Yes, thank you so much. Um, Chair West. So we did uh just have our first meeting of the newly composed or constituted um grants and funding committee. Um members of that committee are um the previous past chair, um, Commissioner Jester and Commissioner Wade, who both were on grants committee last year. So we have that institutional uh memory, and then myself um and um um two new commissioners, Commissioner Knight and Commissioner Khalil.
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