Menhenett Named Interim President, GCAC Executive Search Moving Forward

Mark Corna, Chair of GCAC's Board of Trustees, announced that Paula Menhenett has been named as Interim President of the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Paula, who has served as GCAC's Vice President of Administration and Finance since March, 1989, will assume all the responsibilities of the President's office in the aftermath of Ray Hanley's untimely death.

"This is a difficult time for GCAC but we know that Ray would want us to continue our important work," Menhenett said. "With the great staff that I'm surrounded by at GCAC, I believe the transition will be seamless."

GCAC is also actively continuing its search for a new President, which got under way early in 2006 when the GCAC Search Committee contracted internationally renowned search firm Heidrick & Struggles to conduct the search.

Throughout March and April, Heidrick & Struggles conducted many interviews with community leaders and cultural stakeholders regarding the cultural community in Columbus, the position of President, and the role of GCAC in establishing and implementing the city's cultural policy. From those interviews, Heidrick & Struggles drafted a position specification, approved by GCAC's Board of Trustees on April 25th, that the search firm will use to recruit potential candidates.

Heidrick & Struggles expects to spend 8-12 weeks recruiting candidates for consideration and review by the GCAC Search Committee and the GCAC Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees hopes to name GCAC's new President in the fall.

The job description for the president of GCAC is available to download as a PDF or download as a WORD DOC.