Lawrence Arts Center CEO to resign at end of July

Kimberly Williams

Less than a year into her tenure, Kimberly Williams is resigning as the chief executive officer of the Lawrence Arts Center.

Arts Center leaders announced Friday morning that Williams “in consultation with the organization’s Board of Directors, has chosen to resign,” effective July 31. The board will name an interim CEO in early August. A search for a new CEO will begin in January after the organization completes a strategic planning process.

Joan Golden, chair of the Arts Center’s board, said the decision for Williams to leave the CEO post was arrived at mutually between the board and Williams. She declined to provide further details about the board’s deliberations on the matter.

Williams began serving as CEO of the Arts Center in September. Williams came to Lawrence from the Chicago area, where she had served as the managing director of the Solar Fuels Institute. Prior to that, Williams was an investment fund manager for GE Capital and other large organizations.

Although Williams also had provided some leadership with nonprofit film festivals and other such endeavors, it was her deep ties to Lawrence that were touted upon her hiring. Williams grew up in Lawrence, and is part of the Williams family that founded the prominent Williams Education Fund, which is a major fundraising arm for University of Kansas athletics.

In a release Friday, Williams expressed appreciation, but did not elaborate on why she is resigning the position.

“I appreciate the opportunity to have served the people of Lawrence as the CEO of the Lawrence Arts Center,” she said. “It has been my honor.”

Williams did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Golden also thanked Williams for her contributions.

“We’re excited about what Kimberly has put in place over this past year,” Golden said in the release. “She forged strong relationships with the city, the university and other arts organizations in Lawrence, and maintained and expanded the Arts Center’s community of arts patrons. She will be leaving the Arts Center in a strong position with an extremely competent staff. We appreciate her many contributions.”

Williams took over for Susan Tate, who retired from the position after serving in the role since 2009.

Williams’ resignation is the second significant resignation at the Arts Center since May. Heather Hoy, the Arts Center’s development director announced in May that she would be leaving the Arts Center at the end of July to “pursue new professional goals.” Golden said the Arts Center already has begun work on its strategic planning process. The Arts Center, located at 940 New Hampshire St., serves about 10,000 students who take courses annually at the facility and hosts about 200,000 visitors to its galleries and performances.

In the last year, though, the center failed to win City Hall support for some of its programs and initiatives. The Arts Center this year reduced the size of its popular Free State Festival, after the City Commission declined to provide all the funding the Arts Center had sought for the festival.

The Arts Center also had been a driving force behind a proposal to convert a portion of East Ninth Street into an arts corridor. A divided City Commission earlier this year significantly scaled back that project.

Golden said the city has been supportive of the center in many other ways — the city owns and maintains the building — but she said the organization is contemplating what type of partnership the Arts Center and the city should have.

“I think that is one of the big questions from a strategic planning standpoint,” Golden said. “How dependent can we afford to be on support from the city?”

The Arts Center board plans to host a retreat in early October to further develop the strategic plan.