Bruce LaRowe, a familiar face in the Charlotte arts scene, to assist the Mint during its upcoming leadership transition
The Mint Museum Board of Trustees has approved its CEO succession plan and authorized the hiring of Bruce LaRowe as interim CEO following previously announced plans for Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson to leave The Mint Museum’s President & CEO position. LaRowe will assume the position effective June 21.
LaRowe served for 20 years as Executive Director of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, recognized as one of the top five professional theaters for youth in the country. After he stepped down in 2013, he joinedLevRidge Resources , a Charlotte firm that provides professional interim leadership to nonprofits during transitional periods. This will mark his second term at the Mint, as he previously served as Interim Director of Learning & Engagement during a vacancy in that senior leadership position in 2014-15. LaRowe has also served as the interim leader of local nonprofits including Thompson Child & Family Focus and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte, as well as serving as interim Development Director at Habitat for Humanity Charlotte.
LevRidge Resources also recently shepherded the Mint through the process of developing a new three-year strategic plan which will provide guidelines for the Mint’s next leader. The Mint’s board actively participated in the development of the plan along with Mint staff, and approved the plan’s strategic themes on Wednesday evening. “The extensive track record of both Bruce LaRowe and LevRidge Resources in working with the Mint and other nonprofits in the community makes Bruce the perfect person to lead the Mint during this transition,” said Weston Andress, chair of the Mint’s board. “Bruce knows the Mint well, he knows the cultural landscape both locally and nationally, and he is exceptionally highly regarded throughout Charlotte and beyond.”
“Thanks to the hands-on involvement of the board and staff of The Mint Museum, the three-year strategic planning process can now serve as the transition plan for the Mint’s next CEO,” said Kathy Ridge, who helped lead the strategic planning process along with Mint Museum Board of Trustees member Karl Newlin.
LaRowe will work with Mint senior leadership on refining the strategic metrics and tactics of the three-year plan, as well as keeping a variety of ongoing museum projects on track during the process of conducting a national search for a permanent CEO. The Mint’s board is in the process of designating a committee to oversee the search, which will launch this summer.
LaRowe holds a Master of Arts in Community Arts Management from the University of Illinois. He chaired the Board of Arts North Carolina and has been a guest lecturer for the N.C. Center for Nonprofits. During his tenure at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, he created the vision along with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library to build ImaginOn, a 100,000 square-foot cultural resource for children recognized as unique in the nation.
“I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with the Mint’s senior leadership to ensure a seamless transition and assist the Mint in entering a new phase of growth and sustainability,” said LaRowe.