fayettevillearts.org

FDP names Hintz executive director
By Drew Terry
Northwest Arkansas Times, April 27, 2005

Fayetteville Downtown Partners hired Tuesday one of the two men its board members tabbed two weeks earlier as potential leaders for the evolving organization.

Daniel Hintz, who has served since Dec. 31 as downtown partners interim administrator, became executive director after about a week of discussions.

His first appearance came Tuesday afternoon at the Fayetteville City Council agenda session.

“I’m honored the organization has continued to place their confidence in me,” Hintz said before the meeting. “I look forward to continuing my work with our various partners and colleagues throughout the city.”

Hintz involved himself in Fayetteville through the intense public design process for the Downtown Master Plan by Dover, Kohl & Partners.

He later became executive director of Autumnfest to raise money to support the festival.

Downtown partners board members hired Hintz in December to execute the board’s decisions and establish a foundation for a permanent staff.

It now charges him with leading the organization’s mission, which includes becoming the implementor of the Downtown Master Plan, establishing a cultural arts district and potentially creating a business improvement district.

Arts district initiative meetings have been taking place each month, and Urban Place Consulting Group of Long Beach, Calif., has begun researching on behalf of downtown partners the feasibility of a business improvement district.

Downtown partners board members met April 12 in anticipation of hiring an executive director, but they voted after an executive session to expand its job search to include a director of finance.

Board members favored Hintz and executive director candidate Will Bay for those positions.

Bay still is being considered for the financial position, Hintz said Tuesday.

The board and Hintz have yet to determine a salary and benefits package for either position.

A former plan proposed hiring an executive director for about $94,000 per year and accompanying that position with a grant writer, marketing coordinator and administrative assistant at lesser salaries.

After the April 12 meeting, board members preferred employing an executive director and director of finance at more comparable wages.

Hintz has experience in executive administration, project management, resource and community development, public relations, marketing, and event planning.

Among the groups with which he has worked are the University of Notre Dame, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, YMCA of the USA, Pyramid Communications, the city of Seattle and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Downtown partners hired Hintz based on his ability to articulate the board’s vision, his enthusiasm and commitment to downtown Fayetteville, and his fund-raising capabilities, said Leslie Belden, vice president of the board and chairwoman of the search committee.

As interim administrator, Hintz has helped the organization start research for a community development center, engaged the board in a short-term fund-raising strategy and assisted in planning a Fayetteville Arts Festival.

“The board, when hiring an executive director, had set guidelines that we would not consider the interim for many reasons,” Belden said. “But when it came to making a choice as to who we would hire, it was so important to maintain that momentum and continue moving forward.”

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