Dear Orcas Issues readers;

Recently I was approached to help the Orcas Center during the period when they look for a new executive director. In this position, I will primarily be enabling the Center staff to continue their excellent work in providing community entertainment, lectures, classes, meetings, rehearsal and event spaces. I am honored to be offered this position.

And I am excited that I can help the board plan for the future; to celebrate the Center’s illustrious, locally-grown and newcomer-welcoming legacy of the past 30 years; to honor the staff, donors and volunteers that have made and continue to make that possible; to upgrade systems and equipment, among other plans.

Day-to-day management of Orcas Issues will pass into Managing Editor Lin McNulty’s capable hands, and additional reporting staff (already planned) and business help is coming on board. Lin and I confer regularly and Orcas Issues benefits from our collaboration. As always, any questions or concerns will be answered within 24 hours by an email to editor@OrcasIssues.com.

Thank you all for joining me in supporting this new project, and the continuing health of Orcas Center and Orcas Issues,

Margie Doyle

And now for a word from the Orcas Center board:

— from Tom Fiscus for the Orcas Center Board —

The Orcas Center Board of Trustees has decided to reorganize the center’s executive and managerial leadership. To this end, the current full time position of Executive Artistic Director, held by Kara O’Toole, and the part time positions of Development Manager (currently vacant) and Theater Productions Manager (held by Deborah Sparks) will be realigned into two full time positions: Executive Director and Artistic Director. The new Executive Director will collaborate with the board to properly align required functions to be performed by the new Artistic Director.

In light of these changes, O’Toole has decided to pursue opportunities elsewhere.  During her more than five years as executive artistic director, she brought innovative programming such as on screen productions of the Metropolitan Opera, National Theater Live and the Bolshoi Ballet and saw to the center’s involvement with the Orcas Island Jazz Festival and the Orcas Island Film Festival. The board has accepted O’Toole’s resignation, expresses its sincere gratitude for her service and wishes her well as she moves forward in her career. The board has named local businesswoman Margaret (Margie) Doyle as interim director to manage the center while it conducts a search for a permanent Executive Director.

A position description for the new Executive Director, as well as application procedures, will be published locally and regionally. Candidate screening and selection committees will be appointed. Orcas Center members and others interested in serving on a committee are invited to identify themselves to the Internal Affairs Committee Chair, John Bric, at johnbric@orcascenter.org.

Further announcements will be forthcoming as the reorganization proceeds and as progress is made towards hiring the new executive director.

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