“When Diane Helfers Petrella was charged with running the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, first as interim dean and then, in 2018, as full-time dean, she [became] was the first woman to head the Conservatory in its entire 110-year history,” writes Paul Horsley in Wednesday’s (7/22) Independent (Kansas City, MO). “ ‘I do believe both arts and academic organizations have realized that a lack of diversity in leadership limits perspectives, and they have consciously worked to be more inclusive of under-represented populations when selecting leaders,’ says Petrella…. The Conservatory has presented her with [challenges including] drastic cuts from the State of Missouri [and] cramming one of the most significant conservatories in the Midwest into absurdly diminutive, outdated facilities. On the plus side, the Conservatory has determined to move its new building project back to the main campus…. Her biggest job at UMKC is … to engender local awareness of how critical the school is to our local arts economy…. ‘The Conservatory has generated most of the major performing-arts organizations in town,’ Petrella said, pointing to the Kansas City Ballet, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the Kansas City Symphony, and the Kansas City Chorale … she called the Conservatory ‘the staple of our arts scene.’ ”
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