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A Few Words From Debbie-July 2014

A Few Words From Debbie
From the desk of the executive director

 

From my humble beginnings in the MSU theatre department, I have been blessed to work and build friendships for the past 35 years in an industry that is populated by individuals driven by sheer talent and devotion to their calling. 

A healthy theatre environment thrives, indeed soars, when a new production is staged; a group of artists and technicians come together to form a new family; group effort and teamwork is prevalent; and innovative, creative, challenging ideas are put on the table. That is what producing theatre is all about – molding and shaping of ideas from hundreds of different perspectives and opinions – a true collaborative environment. 

These attributes are encompassed and exuded in every leadership position that I have ever held and today the same can be said of the environment here at the Arts Council of Greater Lansing.

I am grateful and honored to work with some very talented individuals (both board and staff) who put their entire hearts and souls into the daily work of supporting, strengthening and promoting arts and culture in the Capital region. We are an organization where everyone can get involved, where everyone can share an opinion, and where everyone can take credit for the worthwhile work that we produce.

So without further ado, I would like to give credit, where credit is due.  It has been a whirl-wind 9 months for me, and I am blessed to work with two outstanding women who deserve public recognition and credit for adapting to my work ethics and sharing the work load with me.

It is a true team effort. Dawn Gorman, Communications and Events Manager and Barb Whitney, Program Manager are innovative thinkers; they are kind, generous, and sometimes very funny; they take initiative at every opportunity; they are resourceful and creative; and best of all, they anticipate and identify challenges long before they reach my desk. 

 Our programming, events and communications are a direct reflection of their passion for our work. Without doubt, these two are the most passionate supporters of arts and culture in the tri-counties, and it gives me great pleasure to work with them on a daily basis and to express my appreciation for a job well done.

As I get older, I have become more conscious and grateful that the relationships that are formed and nurtured in this industry – the creative industry — will last a lifetime.

Deborah E. Mikula

Executive Director