The Green Music Center, originally a source of contention over its conception, and now an innovator of the arts in Sonoma County, is in search of a new executive director to help broaden its educational vision.

Larry Furukawa-Schlereth was the first executive director when the Green Music Center opened in 2012. Furukawa-Schlereth retired abruptly last year just as Judy K. Sakaki took over as president of the university. Furukawa-Schlereth had 25 years of service to the California State University system. Stan Nosek was appointed by Sakaki as interim executive director with Zarin Mehta who took over as co-executive director in November 2013.

“I serve as the co-executive director with Zarin Mehta,” said Stan Nosek, who assumed the position at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year as a part of Sakaki’s interim staff. “Zarin focuses on the bookings of the Green Music Center. I focus on more of the management or operation of the facilities itself and the staff who work in that facility and serve the various events we have.” 

Nosek, also the vice president of administration and finance, oversees different departments on campus.

“The scope of responsibilities that I have is to serve as the campus chief financial officer and to oversee a variety of campus service units that are a part of the administration and finance responsibility,” Nosek said.

While Nosek is now interim co-executive director, Kathryn Stewart, associate director of communications for the Green Music Center, said that the college is now looking for a full-time executive director position to fulfill the duties of both Nosek and Mehta’s positions.

“[This position will] I hope help bridge the gap between Sonoma State and the Green Music Center,” Stewart said. “I think it’s great that the Green Music Center person would have a voice in the cabinet and then be able to hear everything that’s going on on campus. I think that’s really important.”

According to Stewart, the school initially planned the Green Music Center as a smaller building, like Schroeder Hall. 

The contention grew when former Sonoma State President Ruben Armiñana decided to expand the Green Music Center into a larger, more lavish concert hall like the Tanglewood concert hall near Boston, Stewart said. Tanglewood is a prominent venue for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Stewart noted that despite initial debate about opening the Green Music Center, they realized it could be a one-of-a-kind place in Sonoma County. “It would help increase student attraction and retention for the music department to serve as a focal point for the Sonoma County arts community,” Stewart said.

Various donors and sponsors, such as the major capital campaign by Santa Rosa Symphony, private donations, Joan and Sanford Weill, and MasterCard, funded the center.

Officials say the new executive director will be focused on ensuring the GMC’s financial stability while he/she also will be resposible for developing a master schedule for the concerts, work with the administration to make a fundraising program and to articulate an overall artistic and educational vision.

The executive director requires a bachelor’s degree and formal arts education, as well as eight to 10 years of management experience.

For more information about the position’s details and requirements, check the job announcement at www.sonoma.edu/jobs/docs/gmc-executive-director.pdf.

Contact [email protected] for other inquiries into the GMC.