Retirement didn’t last long for Betsy Wallace.
She stepped down from her role at the Sundance Institute last month and within a matter of weeks was asked to be Park City Institute’s new executive director.
“It couldn't be better suited for something I love. I love Park City. I love the arts. I love everything about what both institutes have done and I think they're keystones," Wallace said. "I'm just lucky to be here at the right time. So that's how I, I'm looking forward to the next many years.”
Ari Ioannides, the current executive director of Park City Institute, said the organization hired a consulting firm to help find a new executive director but never executed its services because Wallace, who has served on the institute’s board for years, became available.
“We know her through her great work, not only at Sundance, but all the boards she serves on locally and her deep ties in the community and her ideas and her support (as a board member for Park City Institute) just made it evident," Ioannides said. "So it was probably a one-month process where the board considered her and we wrote up a transition plan. It was unanimous last Friday when the board took the vote to offer her the job. So we're thrilled.”
Wallace said she will follow in Ioannides’ footsteps and not take a salary as the organization works to recover from the hardships of the pandemic.
“And I'm going to step into that role for a bit of time doing the same and try to move this to a stable organization," Wallace said. "He's done a fabulous job, really working through a difficult time that many of us have faced over the last three years and getting our strings together and our stability together and trying to move this forward.”
Ioannides said to help the institute become financially viable, it has changed ticket prices to a market rate which has increased percentage of revenue from ticket sales. But he emphasized that something’s missing.
“But the thing that really hasn't returned since COVID is community support," Ioannides said. "It continues to grow little by little, but I think it's time for the community to step up and support (the Park City Institute.) With our Big Stars Bright Night series in the past, we would get close to $800,000 of sponsorships and memberships associated with (the summer series.)"
Ioannides said he feels the key to the organization’s success is bringing outdoor concerts back to Park City. The institute used to host performances at the Snow Park amphitheater. That ended in 2018 when Deer Valley decided not to renew the contract.
“And that's something that Betsy and I have been working hard on for the past few months. Hopefully, we'll have some news for everybody here real soon," Ioannides said. "When I first started, our bookkeeper came in and said, 'When are we going back outside? We've got to go back outside.' So it's been a priority for us for some time and the board.”
Wallace expressed her love for the speaker’s series which was a mainstay for the institute.
“I miss a lot of the speaker series that occurred way back when, I always found that fascinating," Wallace said. "I think that's something that I was passionate about, too. So I think it's going to be looking forward, really talking with the community to understand what people want to hear, what they want to see, what they want to be part of.”
Ioannides said he looks forward to seeing Wallace in action.
“I can’t wait to get out of her way," Ioannides said. "That's one of the things Teri [Orr] did a great job when I took over when she stepped back and let me do my thing, even if she didn't agree. That's what I'm gonna do, the same thing with Betsy. It's her baby now.”
Wallace’s first day on the job will be May 1.
Note: Betsy Wallace is also a member of KPCW's Board of Trustees.
