In Monday’s (5/22) Kansas City Star, Steve Paul writes, “Shirley Helzberg, whose involvement has been essential to the recent successes of the Kansas City Symphony, is stepping down as chairwoman of the orchestra’s board. Helzberg, who led the board for 18 years, will be succeeded by longtime board member William M. Lyons. Helzberg will remain engaged with the Symphony, serving as the board’s chairwoman emeritus. The news seemed unsurprising, given Helzberg’s recent appointment as president of the trustees of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and Helzberg said Monday that the Symphony succession plan has been in place for several years. She remains on the boards of many other arts and educational organizations and foundations. ‘I am very pleased with where we are,’ Helzberg said. ‘The organization is extremely successful, financially, and I’m so happy to pass it on into such good hands.’ … Helzberg’s role with the Symphony goes back to the mid-1990s. She helped the orchestra craft a new labor agreement with its musicians, hire executive director Frank Byrne and music director Michael Stern, build the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and renovate a nearby historic building for the Symphony’s headquarters.”
Posted May 22, 2013
