Wanted: Festival director
(File photo/courtesy) The Festival at Sandpoint Board of Directors has announced its search for a permanent executive director for the iconic summer music series. Pictured above, fireworks light the sky at a past Festival Grand Finale concert.
SANDPOINT — Love music? Enjoy helping other discover new bands and don’t mind taking long walks around Memorial Field?
If you answered yes to all of these question, the Festival at Sandpoint Board of Directors wants to talk to you. The board announced Tuesday that it is accepting applications for a full-time executive director.
Board hopes those interested apply as soon as possible with the goal being for them to start immediately, FAS board member Bob Witte said.
The position will be open until the new full-time executive director is chosen, ideally in early March. The Festival at Sandpoint has been without a permanent executive director since the summer music series parted ways with former long-time executive director Diana “Dyno” Wahl following her arrest on a drunken driving charge.
The 2020 Festival at Sandpoint is scheduled for Aug. 6-16 at War Memorial Field in Sandpoint and this year’s lineup is taking shape now.
The Festival office is currently operating under direction of Ali Baranski, who was appointed to serve as the interim, part-time executive director of the summer music series. In addition to Baranski, Amy Bistline is serving as the organization’s part-time office manager.
Baranski was appointed to the interim role in mid-November, jumping in to navigate a number of different hurdles including the city of Sandpoint’s decision to move forward with a plan to install artificial turf and other improvements to War Memorial Field, making some people fear the Festival at Sandpoint won’t be put on in 2020.
Baranski stepped down from a post on the Festival’s board to take over as interim executive director. She told the Daily Bee in early January that she did not plan to take the position full-time and was only serving in the interim role to allow the board to begin its search for a full-time executive director.
Baranski said at the time that she and interim office manager Amy Bistline are focused on making the Festival more efficient, particularly financially, in the time they hold their positions on the staff and keeping it on schedule for opening day on Aug. 6.
Among the challenges facing the summer music series is the city of Sandpoint’s decision to install artificial turf at War Memorial Field and an ongoing lawsuit between Bonner County and the city over the Festival’s gun ban. The county is seeking to prevent the Festival from prohibiting firearms at the event which is forbidden by Idaho law in public places but the city is arguing that it’s within the Festival’s right to restrict guns because they lease Memorial Field from the city.
Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.