WOW Hall Meeting Expected To Be ‘Lively’

Sparks could fly at the Community Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA), aka WOW Hall, annual membership meeting beginning at 6:30 pm Tuesday, April 28, at 291 W. 8th Ave. The agenda for the meeting includes board elections, a review of the year, the budget and likely a discussion of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis that’s critical of the nonprofit’s organization and procedures.

The 40-page SWOT report was prepared by a UO strategic planning class and has identified a number of inadequacies in the way the WOW Hall is currently being run. More than a dozen people involved in the WOW Hall were reportedly interviewed for the analysis and the highest number of comments (21) referred to weaknesses in organization, leadership, administration and direction. Eight comments referred to “infighting.”

One of the “threats” noted in the report was a concern that the WOW Hall could lose its tax-exempt status if changes are not made.

Member Chico Schwall tells EW, “As a longtime CCPA member, a former board of directors member and a member of the arts community, I am concerned.”

The board will meet this Thursday, April 23, in advance of the membership meeting, says Aaron Dietrich, chair of the board. The board will look at the SWOT analysis and “review and vote on updated job descriptions for most of the staff,” Dietrich says, “along with a change in the overall organizational chart.”

Dietrich expects the SWOT report to come up at the membership meeting April 28 and “it is going to create some lively conversation for sure.” The report is not currently posted on the WOW Hall website.

Five out of nine seats will be open for re-election or new appointments. Completing their terms this year are board members Sean Cannon, Mayo Finch, Craig Lawrence, Mike Meyer and Sara Shmigelsky. Continuing on the board will be Aaron Dietrich, McKenzie Goodwin, Jacqueline Hamer and Mike Janes.

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