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, about a month after the alleged embezzlement of $1.5 million in Measure P funds by a former employee of the organization 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 also 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.
This is a developing story.
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