Festival Association officials whittle field down to eight from
more than 70 resumes; candidates now face panel of community
leaders.
Gilroy – Scores of people from as far away as Canada have applied to run the Garlic Festival Association, the nonprofit group that works year-round organizing the city’s marquee event.
“We got over 70 resumes,” said Joann Kessler, the GFA’s assistant director. “We had one from Canada, though the majority were from California. … Some have related experience and some had a little bit of what the job description was asking for. Some had festival experience.”
GFA officials have spent recent weeks winnowing the candidate field to eight applicants in anticipation of a full day of interviews today. By February, they hope to have settled on a replacement for long-time director Dick Nicholls, who died in June 2005 after organizing the event for more than 20 years.
Filling that role has already taken longer than expected. GFA officials had hoped to hire a new executive director by November 2005, but they extended the deadline after an initial round of applications so they could cast a wider net.
In addition to advertising in festival-related trade journals, GFA officials placed ads in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and on the online portal Craig’s List.
GFA officials have spent recent weeks narrowing the field.
“We did a paper screening by going through resumes and did a checklist to see how closely their qualifications match what we’re looking for,” Kessler said.
On Wednesday, a group of eight candidates will face a three-part interview process before 20 community leaders. The process involves an oral interview, a writing test and a “simulation project related to sponsorship,” Kessler said. She declined to provide the names of the community leaders until after the interviews are complete, saying “we want to protect the process.”
Micki Pirozzoli, the 2006 Garlic Festival president, said that while the organization has managed to get by without Nicholls, the absence of the former director has been felt.
“I’ve missed being able to have the sounding board of someone who has the experience of 20 years,” Pirozzoli said.
Nicholls was one of three paid employees of the nonprofit Garlic Festival Association, and during his tenure saw the festival grow from a local draw to an international one, securing Gilroy as the Garlic Capital of the World. He served as director from 1986 until his death in June, just one month before the 27th annual Garlic Festival.
The job description for Nicholls’ position calls for someone who can motivate volunteers, remain up-to-date on festival practices, keep the board of directors apprised, and problem-solve, according to former festival president Jennifer Speno. 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.
Following today’s interviews, the GFA panel plans to recommend two or three candidates to the group’s board of directors, who will vote on a candidate at the beginning of February. The GFA board also has voted to honor the former director’s legacy by establishing a new scholarship fund in his name.
Last week, Nicholls’ twin sons, Jerrod and Justin, each received $1,000 in scholarship aid from the festival association. The 21-year-olds recently graduated from Hartnell junior college, in Salinas, and are now deciding on four-year schools to attend.
