Peggy Baggett
On December 1, 2011, Peggy Baggett will retire from the position of executive director after more than 30 years of service to the Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA).
"For more than three decades I have had the honor of working with the wonderful, creative, and dedicated people who enrich the lives of all of the citizens of the Commonwealth through the arts," Baggett says.
"Thanks to the good work of artists, managers of arts organizations, backstage technicians, designers, costumers, gallery owners, the people who serve on boards of directors and the thousands of volunteers, the arts are thriving in every corner of Virginia. I will miss the extraordinary people who have served on the staff and board, past and present, of the Commission. It is time, however, for me to move on to the next phase of my life. I am grateful to have had a career that I continue to love and am richly rewarded to have had a small role in the flourishing of the arts across Virginia."
Rick Rose, producing artistic director for Barter Theatre in Abingdon, says, "Peggy has been a fixture in the arts of Virginia and would be among the longest serving members for a state arts agency in the nation. We will truly miss working with Peggy and miss her as both an advisor and a colleague. Our hope will be that Virginia will seize the opportunity and hire a new Executive Director for the Virginia Arts Commission with the necessary vision, passion and desire to fight the necessary battles into the future for the benefit of the arts community in Virginia as Peggy has done in the past."
Deborah Wyld, chair of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, says, "We were sad to learn that Peggy has decided to retire after an extraordinary career leading the Commission for more than three decades. We would have preferred that she stay another decade - at least! But we understand her desire to enter the next phase of her life and we wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.
"We expect that Governor McDonnell will appoint Peggy's successor soon. I want to reassure all of the Commission's constituents, friends and supporters that our exceptionally talented Commission staff is committed to providing the same high level of service to the field as we transition to "life without Peggy' and our Commissioners solidly support the team. The Art Works conference will take place on schedule, Jan. 24-25, and General Operating Support recipients will receive application materials for 2012-13 by mid-January. Virginia's arts and cultural environment is flourishing throughout the Commonwealth and will continue to do so as we transition to new leadership at the Commission."
