When Colette Pierce Burnette was hired as CEO of Newfields in August 2022, community members outside of the organization were part of the search committee that brought her to the arts institution from Austin, Texas.
On Feb. 22, Newfields announced that a search committee will start looking for a CEO to replace Burnette, who abruptly left the organization in November 2023. This time, the committee is made up exclusively of seven members of the Newfields Board of Trustees.
“I was surprised to see no community members,” said community activist and artist Wildstyle Paschall, who served on Newfields’ Community Council from 2021 to 2023. He left his role shortly after Burnette’s unexplained exit. “It doesn’t seem like there’s accountability and they’re not acting in the best interest of Newfields or the community. It’s hard for me to take this seriously.”
In a press release, Newfields described the search committee as “community members who also serve on the Board of Trustees.” But last week’s announcement raises questions about what kind of influence the public, including artists, attendees and neighboring residents, will have in deciding the top leader of one of the city’s most well-known cultural organizations. A spokesperson for Newfields said Wednesday that public comments will be accepted via email.
Members of the search committee include:
- Anne Sellers, a tech entrepreneur who is the search committee chair and the vice chair of the Board of Trustees.
- Darrianne Christian, a tech entrepreneur and former CIA officer and the chair of the Board of Trustees.
- Michael Kubacki, a retired chairman of Lake City Bank and its holding company, Lakeland Financial Corporation. Kubacki is the interim president and CEO of Newfields.
- Alan Mills, a retired partner at Barnes & Thornburg.
- Kathi Postlethwait, who has spent the bulk of her career in the not-for-profit sector.
- Ian Rupert, co-founder and managing partner of RSLP Ventures, a venture capital and private investment firm.
- Doug Singleton, a principal at Singleton Companies, a firm specializing in commercial real estate development. Singleton is also chair of the Newfields’ Board of Governors.
In the press release, Christian and Kubacki were also highlighted as “community volunteers.”
Braydee Euliss, an artist, curator and owner and director of COMPANION — an art gallery in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood — said describing the committee as “community members” downplays the influence they ultimately have on the organization.
“I wasn’t surprised to see the search committee is composed entirely of Board of Trustees members and the interim president and CEO,” Euliss said via email. “What did stand out was the repeated use of the word ‘community,’ specifically the phrase ‘community volunteer,’ to describe the two seats with the most outsized influence on the institution and the hiring process.”
How the public can submit comments
Newfields has hired Philadelphia-based Koya Partners to aid in the search and the committee expects to make a decision by the end of the year. In a statement sent to Mirror Indy, Mattie Wethington, director of communications for Newfields, said the public is invited to submit comments via email to Koya.
“While the search committee is composed of members of the Board of Trustees, each of whom is a valued and respected member of the Central Indiana community in their own right, any and all input is welcome and will be considered by Koya Partners and the search committee as they recruit, review and consider applicants,” Wethington wrote in an email. “We invite neighborhood and community partners, Newfields members and the general public to send their thoughts via email to newfieldsceo@koyapartners.com”
Koya helped place the current chief curator at the Milwaukee Art Museum and the chief executive officer of the Chicago Architecture Center. Wethington said a “position profile” with more information on what the board is looking for in a CEO will be made public in the coming weeks.
Paschall said he doesn’t have high expectations for how much community involvement Newfields will garner through an email process.
“While I remain hopeful, I also remain concerned.”
Throughout his career, Indianapolis cultural entrepreneur Michael Kaufmann has served on the boards of the Zionsville Parks Department, the IUPUI Board of Advisors and ArtMix, among others. He also was part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art search committee that hired CEO Maxwell Anderson, who served from 2006 to 2011.
These experiences have helped Kaufmann understand the roles that a board can play for an organization — including influencing day-to-day operations to uphold a strategic mission — as well as the procedures a board may or may not have to follow in management decisions, depending on the by-laws of individual constitutions.
Kaufmann stressed that search committees don’t have to include members outside of an organization, but they should seek the input of staff members, attendees, local organizations and neighborhood residents.
“A search committee should be an engaged, well-informed group. As to whether or not there needs to be community members, I don’t have a strong opinion,” Kaufmann said. “But, I do have an opinion if there’s not an intentional effort to understand the surrounding community.”
Julie Goodman, president and CEO of Indy Arts Council, served on the search committee that selected Burnette. She said she is optimistic about the search process, while also recognizing the “lack of non-board representation” on the committee.
“A search process always represents a new beginning: the possibility and promise of fresh perspective, vision and energy to drive a mission forward,” Goodman said, noting that the most recent CEO search “resulted in high-quality candidates and an outstanding leader in the role.”
“While I remain hopeful, I also remain concerned,” Goodman continued. “I believe the level of empowerment and genuine support by the board will be a key question in the current search process.”
Newfields prioritizes “visionary leader” in role
Many questions remain about why Burnette left the organization, and neither she nor the Board of Trustees have provided an explanation for the split. In December, IndyStar reported nine members of the Board of Trustees and the associate Board of Governors resigned. Four members of the Board of Governors resigned in the aftermath of Burnette’s departure.
Burnette was hired after former CEO Charles Venable resigned in February 2021, following a public outcry over a job posting calling for a director who would “maintain the museum’s traditional, core white audience.” More than 1,500 people, including members of the arts community and Newfields staff, signed an open letter demanding Venable’s removal.
In a statement sent out Feb. 22, Sellers, the search committee chair, thanked Newfields staff and volunteers for their work during the transition period following Burnette’s exit.
“As we embark on the search for a new President and CEO, it is essential that we prioritize finding a visionary leader who not only possesses the necessary expertise and experience but also embodies our organization’s values and commitment to excellence,” the statement read.
Mirror Indy reporter Breanna Cooper covers arts and culture. Reach her at breanna.cooper@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @breannancooper.
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