Asheville’s new Civic Center director comes to town all the way from Amarillo, Texas. The city of Asheville announced today that Sherman Bass will take his new post in March. Former Director David Pisha resigned the position in July of last year.
According Bass’ former boss, his experience in Amarillo strangely parallels the concerns and hopes Asheville has, including overseeing the expansion of their facility and acting as point person for a privately built state-of-the-art performing arts center. When that facility, the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, was handed over to the city, Bass took on the role of executive director.
“They made the right decision for director [in Asheville],” Amarillo Civic Center Manager Kris Miller told Xpress. “I would kill to keep him here. He is a sharp young man and a hard worker.”
Asheville’s Civic Center has been a political and financial mess for years, and only in the past few years has the city taken steps to make repairs there.
Noting the political nature of the Civic Center, Miller said that Bass is not the kind to shy away from speaking truth to power. “He is not a ‘yes’ man,” Miller said.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
Now don’t tell me there is NO one in Buncombe County who could not have handled this job!
I know darn well I coulda for considerably less than the amount of money wasted on recruiting and paying an outsider who knows nothing about Asheville and what we want out of our Civic Center.
Mr. Bass, according to an AC-T article this morning, will be paid $90,000 per year. I’m sure he will get a substantial moving allowance and additional benefits on the job such as travel, etc.
Let’s stop this idiocacy of thinking outsiders can do it better and start hiring locally. SURELY someone currently at the Civic Center, such as the number 2 or 3 person, could have taken over the job? If not, they should not be working there in the first place.
Or, let’s close it and build out in the county where there’s space for parking like should have been done in the first place.
$90,000? Who in God’s name is making these decisions in our city?Outsiders do not know this town. They bring their outsider preconceived ideas with them. Not good for Asheville. Does this guy have a relative in City government?