What’s at stake?
The shakeup comes as the Fresno Arts Council has faced mounting criticism over its handling of Measure P and changes to ArtHop — and that was before the organization’s embezzlement scandal.
The Fresno Arts Council has a new leader, months after the alleged embezzlement of $1.5 million in Measure P funds by the organization’s former employee rocked the arts community and lost the Arts Council its deal to administer the arts grant program.
The Arts Council’s board shared in an email late Friday afternoon that Andrea Mele, the organization’s former program manager, has been appointed interim executive director. Mele replaces longtime Executive Director Lilia Gonzáles Chávez.
In a brief call with Fresnoland on Friday, Gonzáles Chavez said that she retired earlier in March, but declined to elaborate or comment further.
Gonzáles Chávez had led the organization as executive director since 2011, including through controversies over changes to ArtHop and the Arts Council’s handling of Measure P, even before the bombshell revelations of alleged embezzlement.
The Board of Directors is now seeking a permanent replacement for Gonzáles Chávez, according to Friday’s email.
“We are also launching a search for a new permanent Executive Director — someone with the vision, experience, and courage to help guide the Fresno Arts Council into its next chapter,” the email from the Board of Directors reads. “This is an opportunity to strengthen our foundation and to enhance our reflection of the creativity and resilience of the communities we serve.”
Mele, the newly-minted interim chief, issued a brief statement to Fresnoland late Friday.
“I’m honored to serve Fresno Arts Council as Interim Executive Director. I look forward to working with the board to ensure its stabilization while continuing our ongoing work. As FAC enters its next chapter, I hope to honor its legacy, strengthen and cultivate relationships, and help prepare the organization for a meaningful future in service to Fresno County’s arts and culture communities.”
Friday’s announcement comes a little more than a month after the now-retired executive director alerted city officials that at least $1.5 million in Measure P funds went missing, a development first reported by Fresnoland.
The City of Fresno swiftly canceled its contract with the Arts Council to administer the taxpayer-funded, multimillion-dollar competitive grant program that supports the work of hundreds of artists and arts-based organizations annually.
City officials also immediately announced intentions to take over administering the grants for the time being, a process they’re still ironing out as they first aim to make whole dozens of grant recipients who haven’t been paid yet, or who have seen their checks from the Arts Council bounce.
Local law enforcement also continue to investigate the case, though no arrests have been announced yet. Fresnoland is choosing not to identify any suspect or suspects in the case until formal criminal charges are filed.
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