Trish Triumpho Sullivan, executive director of the Gilroy Arts
Alliance, is no longer with GAA.
Trish Triumpho Sullivan, executive director of the Gilroy Arts Alliance, is no longer with GAA.
“It has been a great pleasure working with all of you and getting to know you and the wonderful city you live in,” she said in an email. “It is a disappointment to me that I will not be continuing my work with the GAA building a strong foundation for and alliances in the arts for the Gilroy community.”
Triumpho Sullivan, who assumed her position with the GAA six months ago, was in charge of strategic planning, marketing and development strategy.
She said she will continue to support the GAA in all of its efforts, and will remain active with Gilroy volunteer work and other programs such as Windows to the Arts.
GAA board member Sherri Stuart explained the change in infrastructure was due to visions that did not align of what the executive director’s role for the GAA should be.
“We’re still learning,” she said, pointing out GAA wouldn’t have hired Triumpho Sullivan if the organization didn’t think she had talent. “It’s just the role (Triumpho Sullivan) sees as an executive director is not matching the reality of what our organization needs.”
Stuart reminded GAA is still new, and board members are hammering out the best possible modes of operation for the nonprofit facility at 7341 Monterey St. She also explained Triumpho Sullivan’s position was contracted, meaning there was an end date, or the arrangement could be terminated with 30 days notice.
“When you are an all-volunteer organization, the very first time you take on staff you make a guess as to what you think you need, and we made a guess.”
The GAA, she explained, had certain tasks it thought the executive director would take on, and it simply turned out this wasn’t what worked best for the organization.
“Trish contributed to the organization’s growth,” she added. “Ideas that you need policies in place … she contributed to the maturing of our organization.”
Triumpho Sullivan reiterated she had nothing but good things to say about the GAA, and that she’s excited to see a permanent center for the arts come to fruition one day.
“I don’t think they were quite ready to have an executive director,” she said. “Maybe the center’s administrative position is what they were really looking for. They’re keeping that position.”
Stephanie Woehrmann currently works as center administrator for the GAA.
Stuart said the GAA board will focus on getting through upcoming fundraisers, and will be determining if they need staff or should remain completely volunteer-based.
