Arts Center executive director steps down

One week before the board of directors of The Arts Center of North Texas will vote on the future of the project, one of the center's biggest supporters is stepping down.

Mike Simpson, the executive director and chief fundraiser, announced Friday afternoon that he was stepping down from his position effective immediately. Simpson will no longer receive his salary, which this fiscal year was paid for by private donations after the owner cities pulled funding from the project.

At its February meeting, the board is set to vote on which direction the project should take since it is not going to meet its six-month fundraising goals. The options in front of the board range from a simple reorganization, to dissolving the project and splitting up the assets.

"The board has a couple of options, but whatever they are going to do, I didn't think it would allow me to be in a position to go out and do the things I have been doing in terms of fundraising and seeking big donations," Simpson said Friday. "This is probably the best thing for the project, and it gives the board the time to restructure and make the decision on where they want to go next."

Simpson said while he is stepping down, he will continue to support the project and still believes the project will eventually succeed.

"This is a great project and it does need to be built," he said. "We never got what a lot of other art centers have gotten, a big $15 or $20 million naming rights sponsor. That was difficult to deal with. I remain totally committed to making sure this gets done, and will do what I can to help that take place. I think this project is the right thing for this area and I think that it will happen here."

The project was nearly ready to break ground in 2010, but that never occurred because Frisco leaders said they were not prepared to sell the bonds needed to fully finance their portion of the project. Simpson, a former Frisco mayor, said this was his biggest disappointment in his three-plus years as executive director.

"In March 2010 we were within a few hundred thousand dollars from breaking ground on a $66 million project," he said. "We were within striking distance and could have put the shovels in the ground. Of all the things I am unhappy about, it is that the cities worked together so well for all these years and then this happened."

After Simpson resigned, board president and Plano resident Bob Baggett said Simpson will be missed.

"I have never worked with a more hard-working and dedicated individual as Mike Simpson," Baggett said. "His contributions and accomplishments to the performing arts center and park are numerous including increasing our donor base almost 10-fold with more than $2 million in gifts and pledges, creating an engaging marketing platform and leveraging his relationships to bring together arts organizations, business leaders and advisors to multiply advocacy for the project."

Baggett went on to say that circumstances outside of the board's direct control affected the project beginning in 2010, and that the project will now require a major shift in direction in order to achieve success.

The board of directors for the Arts Center of North Texas is scheduled to meet Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. at Allen City Hall.

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