News Archive

Search committee named to recommend new MNAC Executive Director

10 April 2003

For Release: Immediate

Contact: Walter Schatz

NASHVILLE, TN - Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission (MNAC) chairman Walter Schatz named a seven-member Search Committee to identify a new MNAC executive director. According to Chairman Schatz, "A nation-wide search has been established with the goal of securing our new executive director by this summer."

MNAC Commissioner and former Metro Councilman Jeff Ockerman has been appointed to lead the Search Committee. Ockerman is an attorney with Stites & Harbison, PLLC, and current President of the Board of the Nashville Civic Design Center. Joining him on the committee are Commissioners Nancy Saturn and Barbara Chazen, plus Bill Ivey, Carlyle Johnson, Mark Wait and Cherie Hamilton.

MNAC Commissioner Nancy Saturn, owner of American Artisan, a store devoted to art and fine crafts, is a founder of the local Gilda's Club, an alumnus of Leadership Nashville and a 2002 recipient of a YWCA Women of Achievement Award.

MNAC Commissioner Barbara Chazen is the current chair of the MNAC Public Art Committee. She is the former director of corporate affairs for Bank of America and an active community volunteer serving on numerous boards and advisory committees.

Bill Ivey is the Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Vanderbilt University and Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt. Ivey, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and former director of the Country Music Foundation, also serves as facilitator for Leadership Music.

Carlyle Johnson, chair of the Tennessee State University Department of Art, has more than fourteen years of administrative experience as a departmental chairman at three universities. He has directed the visual arts component of the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts for the past twelve years.

Mark Wait, Dean & Professor of Music at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University since 1993, is a concert pianist who has presented over 200 concerts in 25 states. In addition, Wait has been an active member of civic arts advisory councils in Boulder, Colorado, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Cherie Hamilton, former director of Recruitment and Staffing at Vanderbilt University, now devotes much of her time to community volunteer work. Hamilton is currently on or has served on the following Boards: Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, N4Art, VAAN, YWCA of Nashville, Chamber of Commerce, United Way and Oasis Center, and currently serves as a MNAC grant review panelist.

"I feel this committee will well represent the community as it brings to the task at hand an extraordinary range of talent, experience and diversity in the arts, in public service and in the business world," said Schatz, MNAC chairman.

The 15-member MNAC sets policy for an annual grants program, the Percent for Public Art Program and its other activities. It is one of 50-plus boards and commissions that oversee departments, agencies, or divisions of Metropolitan Government.

Qualified candidates should submit résumés to:

Jane Madden, Metro Human Resources
222 Third Avenue North, Suite 158
Nashville, TN 37201
fax (615) 862-6659
jane.madden@nashville.gov

by May 2, 2003.

###

© 2009 Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission
800 2nd Avenue South, 4th Floor
P.O. Box 196300
Nashville TN 37219-6300 		arts@nashville.gov
(615) 862-6720
fax (615) 862-6731