Civic Center gets new director

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

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Civic Center gets new director

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. nam veteran

    $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?

Leave a Reply to Ralph Roberts ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.