Farewell to Andy Vick, Executive Director
Dear Cultural Office Community,
This past year, the Cultural Office Board has been honored to work with staff on developing an updated strategic plan for COPPeR to guide us over the next few years, and have been excited to see the recent Arts Vision 2030 plan begin to come to life. We were also proud to see another impactful Arts Month engage the community in the vital role arts and culture play in our lives.
As we plan for the New Year to come, we continue to be uplifted by the power of the arts to contribute to our quality of life, support the economic vitality of our region, and deliver transformational experiences. Given recent events, this feels particularly precious at the moment.
We make this transition into a new year with news of leadership change at COPPeR. After nearly nine years leading the organization as executive director, Andy Vick has departed the Cultural Office and will pursue new opportunities for his continued professional journey. We are deeply grateful for the commitment and work Andy contributed to the Cultural Office, creating programs and initiatives that have elevated the arts sector and established an extremely solid financial footing that will serve us well for years to come.
Under his leadership, the Cultural Office greatly expanded its revenue base through increased funding from the Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax, established a regionwide annual Arts Month initiative, created the Military Arts Connection program, grew the online Peak Radar platform, connected the Pikes Peak region to the nationwide Arts & Economic Prosperity study, and artfully navigated major shifts during the pandemic, among many other initiatives. We thank Andy for leaving this legacy.
In order to ensure a smooth transition for the Cultural Office, we are acting quickly to identify an interim executive director to not only continue critical operations, but to also ensure the strategic momentum continues and provide inspirational and visionary leadership. As we know more in the coming days, we will provide updates.
In the meantime, we are deeply appreciative of all you who contribute so much to our rich cultural community, and who we are privileged to serve.
Warm regards,
Holly Flores, Board Chair
Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region Board of Directors
