“The philanthropist Mercedes T. Bass was elected the acting chairwoman of Carnegie Hall on Thursday, succeeding Ronald O. Perelman, the billionaire businessman who stepped down from the post after eight months, amid clashes with the hall’s leadership and its board,” writes Michael Cooper in Friday’s (10/9) New York Times. “Bass, an arts and opera patron who has been on the board for 26 years and has served as a vice chairwoman since 2006 … will hold the post while the hall searches for a new chairman to succeed Mr. Perelman…. At its annual meeting on Thursday, the board created a new governance committee to oversee policies related to board stewardship. Ms. Bass, a vice chairwoman at the Metropolitan Opera, where the Grand Tier level bears her name, said in a statement that ‘as someone who has long loved Carnegie Hall—its unparalleled commitment to artistic excellence and its service to education and community—I feel privileged to assume this new post.’ Scott A. Edelman, who had been the secretary of the board, left the board, a Carnegie official said…. The board meeting was held the afternoon after Carnegie’s opening-night gala.”
Posted October 9, 2015
