TPS Public Forum Meeting Minutes
April 27, 2017 | 5:00 PM
Seattle Center Armory | Loft 3, 3rd floor
The transcript of Theatre Puget Sound’s April 27th Public Forum is now available. The purpose of the meeting was to dialogue with members concerning recent events at TPS and provide details regarding the upcoming search for the next Executive Director. Part of this discussion was for the Board to hear feedback on how best to ensure members are meaningfully involved in the ED search process. The meeting was moderated by Holly Arsenault.
Moderator: Holly Arsenault; Dir. Of Engagement for University of Washington
Good evening – on behalf of the entire board of Theatre Puget Sound, thank you for joining us for this important discussion. I am Holley Arsenault, your Moderator. I know you want to hear from your Board of Directors, and they’re eager to hear from you as well; so I’m going to begin by asking them to introduce themselves and then they will offer a brief summary of recent events and current status. Immediately following their remarks, you’ll have the opportunity to ask them questions from the floor. People’s trust has been disrupted, that’s a real thing. We’re not ignoring that, but sometimes when organizations are in crisis, boards close off. I have never seen that tactic work.
Board Statement – Liisa Spink
Thank you for your time tonight. The Mission of Theatre Puget Sound is twofold. First, to promote the necessity of theatre to the public, and second, to unify and strengthen Puget Sound’s performing arts community. As Holly said, we’re here to connect – to share the facts about recent events and decisions that affect all of us, and also to listen to your questions and address your concerns. You are the heart and soul of Theatre Puget Sound; as your volunteer Board of Directors, we try to do everything we can to ensure the success of TPS.
Recent staff changes have unfolded in a manner that has created uncertainty and undue stress for all stakeholders in TPS. Tonight, it is our goal to clarify the situation for you – through an explanation of the timeline and decisions, and through honest and transparent dialogue with you. We sincerely regret any perceived gap between our desires and our achievements in serving you, as well as any frustration you have experienced. We are united in our efforts to serve you better going forward.
Right now, Agastya is going to share a brief summary and timeline of staffing changes in the last few months from the board’s perspective; and then we look forward to your questions.
For the rest of the transcript including the board’s timeline and Q&A with TPS Members, please download the PDF transcript. DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION: 2017_04-27 TPS PublicMtg (1)