“I went to great lengths (to be) very clear in my role as the governance officer that I was focused on governance issues,” she said of allegations that she was overstepping her authority and interfering with the management of the nonprofit.
She made a point of communicating regularly with colleagues at all levels of the organization, especially when she realized that there were differing views about the role of board chairperson, Gregory said.
“I wanted to foster a shared set of beliefs about the role of governance, the role of management and where the intersection points lie, where the two bodies come together and should collaborate on institutional matters.”
When concerns over finances grew, “yes, I did lean in, and yes, I did set up a task force for budget and for legal, but I did so with the explicit affirmation of the executive committee and full board,” she said.
Putting festival first
Thompson, 17 years on the board before resigning, said that when Gregory was forced out of her position, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“To create this unnecessary turmoil with less than 100 days (left of Gregory’s term) was just remarkable,” Thompson said.
She hopes Spoleto Festival staff and directors can turn crisis into productive action.
“I do think Spoleto’s going to survive no matter what, and that’s good,” she said. “But if lessons could be learned, there could be a much stronger institution coming out of this.”
Hanna deferred questions to Casey Kupper of The Brandon Agency, which represents the Spoleto Festival board. Through Kupper, he denied issuing what some referred to as a her-or-me ultimatum. He did confirm, however, that he brought concerns — shared by other staff members — to the board’s attention.
Smith said that new members will be added so the organization can operate, and more will be invited to join soon. Currently, Spoleto Festival USA lists on its website 10 board officers, 17 directors and 15 additional emeriti and honorary members.
