Input from many sought; search will be nationwide
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – The Garlic Festival Association is beginning the daunting task of hiring a new executive director to replace Dick Nicholls, who died of cancer a month-and-a-half before this year’s July festival.
Even before sending out job advertisements in what will be a national search, 2005 Garlic Festival Association President Jennifer Speno is asking close to 100 people for their vision of the ideal executive director candidate. The feedback from Garlic Festival volunteers, staff members, and community leaders will help generate a new job description for the position, filled by Nicholls since 1986.
“We’re looking at (the current) job description – it’s not real current and we’d like to look at where the festival will go in the future, and (find) someone who can help with future challenges,” Speno said.
As the festival heads into its 28th year, it is important that the association finds a strong leader who can continue the tradition while dealing with things such as a loss of parking as development continues, increasing transportation costs, and picking up additional sponsorships.
“I often compared Dick Nicholls to the conscience of the festival, someone who works with the different committees and keeps those in line,” Speno said. “They’ll have to be creative in how they deal with people.”
Four different panels will offer their opinions on who the new executive director should be. The Garlic Festival Association’s 26 committee chairs, 26 assistant chairs, and nine advisory board members have already met.
“Because we’re predominately a volunteer-based operation, we felt that their opinions were vital,” Speno said.
The group answered four questions designed to guide the dialogue: What style of leadership is desirable in an executive director; what qualities and characteristics are desirable; which characteristic is the most important; and what question they would most like to ask during the interview.
Last week, a panel of about a dozen community leaders were asked the same questions, at a forum for those who could attend, and via a questionnaire for others. The group includes members of the city, school and business communities.
The remaining two panels are the festival’s strategic planning group, comprised of the nine directors and past presidents, and the two paid festival staff members who will work with the director – Assistant Executive Director Joann Kessler and Administrative Secretary Chris Filice.
Two past festival presidents who work in human resources are guiding Speno through the process, she said. Sam Bozzo, director of personnel for the Monterey County Office of Education, was festival president in 1990, and Gene Sakahara, recruiter for the Gilroy Unified School District, was president in 1991.
The current job description requires the executive director provide motivational leadership for volunteers, remain up-to-date on festival practices, keep the board of directors apprised, and problem-solve, Speno said. Aside from other day-to-day tasks such as handling communication, records, and office procedures, the executive director serves as the official festival representative and promotes the festival “as a professional organization sensitive to the needs of its membership and the community at large,” she said.
And, of course, there’s the festival’s multi-million-dollar budget. Finding someone experienced in managing such a budget and working with a diverse group of people are priorities, said Jim Rogers, a school board member and long-time festival volunteer who attended the community leader panel.
“I think, hopefully, it would be somebody who has worked not necessarily with the Garlic Festival, but a … community event,” Rogers said. “Somebody that has dealt with a community event who knows that you’ve got to make money, but … no matter who the director works with, they need to have the ability, have the personality to work with a variety of people.”
Once a job description is generated, the application process should begin next month, Speno said. The salary for the position has not yet been set.
She and a group of festival representatives will visit the annual conference of the International Festivals and Events Association from Sept. 12 to 16 to advertise the job to “the type of market we’re going towards,” Speno said. Nicholls once chaired the organization.
She plans to have someone hired by the end of January 2006, giving the successful applicant about six months before the next festival.
“It’s really a tough thing for the person who will be coming in as executive director,” she said. “They’ll have to learn the job and at the same time the festival will be coming. They’ll be right in the heart of planning for that year.”
Locals are encouraged to apply, as well. Speno said she has heard several people mentioned, but would not say who.
Kirsten Carr, executive director of the Gilroy Visitor’s Bureau, said she, for one, has not ruled out applying to the position. Carr is a long-time festival volunteers who has chaired many different committees, and is currently advisory chair and a member of the board of directors.
“It’s not something I spend a lot of time thinking about right now. It’s more important finding someone who’s right for the position,” Carr said. “Someone with the understanding of how the festival itself works, but someone who also understands how important the Garlic Festival is to our community, and making sure the position is filled by somebody who is worthy of that title.
“It needs to be someone who has the passion for the festival that we show each year.”
