Brezzo quits after tough haul

Mike Swanson

Steve Brezzo announced his resignation this week as executive

director of the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters after a

rocky 10-month term highlighted by a summer in which he was

repeatedly publicly lambasted by residents.

“He just hit his point where enough was enough,” festival board

member Bob Dietrich said. “Some people were incredibly vicious, and a

person can only take so much.”

Brezzo’s hiring last year drew criticism from some board members,

artists and residents because they didn’t see a need for an executive

director. He was the festival’s first executive director in its

70-year history.

The public came out hardest against Brezzo and some members of the

current board when discussions with a Hollywood talent agency to

license the festival and pageant went public. The board and Brezzo

continually told the public that no contracts were signed, and

nothing but discussions had taken place, but critics continued to

lash out at anything about licensing, with Brezzo and board President

Bruce Rasner absorbing most of the public blows.

“He’s hit a brick wall with everything he’s offered,” 21-year

festival exhibitor Myron Van Ness said of Brezzo. “It doesn’t do you

any good to pay somebody a big salary to come up with ideas that

nobody supports.”

Brezzo was hired to seek fund-raising opportunities for the

festival, but several artists and residents questioned his reported

$175,000 salary, which board member Kathleen Blackburn said should

have never gone public because salaries are closed-session issues. A

majority of the board supported Brezzo’s employment, but senior

member David Young, who’s running for one of three board spots

opening this year along with Rasner and five others, has been among

Brezzo’s harshest critics.

Board member and festival exhibitor Dianne Reardon said Brezzo was

only implementing a visioning plan presented by the board majority.

“We gave Mr. Brezzo these thoughts on paper to make more people

come to the festival,” Reardon said. “We told him we needed more

sponsorship, more fund-raising, new coverings to protect artists’

work in case of rain, a year-round show to exhibit our work, etc.,

etc. We had talked about everything before we hired him, but from the

very beginning, he didn’t have a chance.”

Rasner said he expected the festival’s financial woes to become

more woeful without the expertise of someone like Brezzo, adding that

hiring another executive director couldn’t be expected any time soon.

“We spent six months searching for the right person before finding

him in Steve,” Rasner said. “We’d also have to look now at whether an

executive director could possibly succeed here.

“One of our board members said when we hired [Brezzo] -- and this

is a direct quote -- that even Jesus Christ himself wouldn’t be right

for the job,” he said. “When you start that way, it’s difficult.”

In addition to immediate needs like rebuilding workshops and

building a required fire exit, Rasner sees millions of dollars in

necessary improvements over the next few years, which will be

difficult to raise without a fund-raising expert, he said. The only

immediate solutions Rasner sees without seeking alternate sources of

income are through raising booth fees and ticket prices, which he

isn’t prepared to do.

“This will certainly be a challenge for whoever’s on the next

board,” Rasner said. “I’m saddened that such a big dent’s been made

in a visioning process arrived at over years.”

Anita Mangels, one of seven running for a seat on the board,

didn’t support Brezzo’s employment with the festival. She only met

him once, she said, but didn’t necessarily feel happy about his

resignation.

“I feel more disappointed than anything that there was money

wasted while he was here,” Mangels said. “People losing their jobs

never makes me happy, but this just wasn’t the right fit. I think he

caused a lot of division around here, which made for a tense festival

this year. I just hope we can get back to basics now.”

Mangels added that eliminating Brezzo’s salary is a start toward

saving money. Rasner said trimming employment isn’t the answer

considering the size of the festival and pageant and the money it

brings in.

“This is not a mom-and-pop organization anymore,” Rasner said.

“It’s too big for nine volunteers to oversee. The challenge now is

everybody’s going to have to pick it up and think ahead three or four

steps.”

Brezzo’s last day will be Oct. 15.