RWB boss Herd makes quick exit

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/4/2016 (2219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet executive director Jeff Herd announced Friday he will immediately step down from the position and will not seek renewal of his contract, which was set to expire in October.

Until a new executive director is hired, artistic director Andre Lewis will fill Herd’s managerial Capezios, according to a news release issued Friday afternoon by the RWB.

Herd was contacted Wednesday by the Free Press about rumours of his imminent departure. He said at that time he had no intention of stepping down and expressed surprise about any rumours to that effect.

But RWB board chairman David Reid said Herd "indicated to us that he wasn’t planning on renewing his contract to pursue other opportunities. So the board was meeting (Thursday evening), and we decided the best course of action was to start an immediate transition.

"After eight years as an executive director, it’s common for people to move on. It wasn’t really a surprise to the board that Jeff had taken that option," Reid said.

Herd was not available for comment Friday.

Herd’s tenure at the RWB was marked by deficits in the past few years, including a $142,052 deficit during the 2013-14 season and further losses last year.

"We did lose some money last year but all the arts communities have had some tough times this year, last year and the year before that," Reid said. "We’re trying to figure out how to solve some of these problems to ensure the organization can be sustainable."

Reid said it was too early to say how well the company will have performed financially in 2015-16.

"The fiscal year ends in June, and we’re waiting for a few more things to occur," Reid said. "Our last production is next week, Peter Pan, and that will tell us a lot of how our fiscal (picture) is."

In addition to its financial troubles, the company also took a serious public relations hit in 2014 and 2015 when it was revealed RWB teacher and photographer Bruce Monk has been accused of taking inappropriate photographs of underage girls in the 1980s and ’90s. An internal investigation by the RWB found its staff didn’t know anything about the allegations until after police informed the company of an ongoing investigation.

Reid expressed gratitude for Herd’s leadership in the RWB’s troubled period.

"He’s accomplished a lot for us, and he leaves behind a very capable staff," Reid said. "We won’t have any large challenges going forward in managing the business."

randall.king@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @FreepKing

If you value coverage of Manitoba’s arts scene, help us do more.
Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project.