Metro Arts executive committee recommends Ashley Batchelder as interim executive director amid grants and staffing crunch

The Metro Arts Commission Executive Committee on Monday voted to recommend Ashley Batchelder as interim executive director after Interim Director Dr. Coleman resigned, the committee said.

The recommendation — which must be approved by the full Metro Arts Commission — grew from concerns that the department lacks a single leader to run an accelerated FY25 grants cycle and to advance multiple open staff searches. “I do think it is absolutely imperative at this point that there be another interim executive director appointed,” Director Hall told the committee as he recommended an internal appointment.

The recommendation followed a briefing from Metro Human Rights Commission (MHRC) staff on the final steps of a conciliation agreement and an earlier grants committee meeting that produced an amended, accelerated grants timeline and several policy adjustments. Committee members said the timeline and the pending legislative filing require immediate operational leadership. Secretary Heather Lefkowitz told the committee she would work with staff to file…