Painful cutback at Center

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-The crunch of the economy, and tightening budgets, was felt at the Center for the Arts last week, when the organization laid off marketing director Rich Anderson.

Anderson had filled the public relations role since Dec. 2007.

The Center’s new executive director, Clare Payne Symmons, who began only her third week on the job on Monday, said the layoff was due to a budget shortfall that many nonprofits are currently facing.

“This is an economic measure,” Symmons said. “We are very sorry to lose Rich, a wonderful individual and member of our staff.”

A major capital campaign was halted last year due to the economy, and charitable donations have fallen short of expectations, Symmons said.

With the full-time marketing position cut, Symmons said she does not expect any further layoffs. But the Center has had a thin staff in place for some time, according to Symmons.

“We have a box office with a skeleton crew, concessions are understaffed during intermissions,” and the maintenance team runs at an acceptable minimum, she said.

The Center will retain Anderson on a limited contract basis, ostensibly to help promote shows and craft press releases.

Before he went to work for the Center, Anderson was a journalist for about 20 years, and was the founding editor of this newspaper. JHW


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