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The National Association for Music Education has ousted CEO Michael Butera for making comments some viewed as disparaging to blacks and Latinos. Butera, however, maintains he is the victim of "deeply inaccurate" reporting about what he actually said.
The $8 million-revenue NAfME announced Wednesday that Butera would "not be returning to the organization." The association instead promoted Senior Deputy Executive Director Mike Blakeslee to CEO, pointing to his nearly three decades of work at the group.
"These last few days highlight the need for real, substantive conversation about what must be done to provide access and opportunity to all students no matter where they live," NAfME said in a statement. "This is an ongoing journey and we are ready to play an increasingly important role in convening and facilitating a dialogue and prompting action around how all of us can increase diversity, inclusion and equity in music and the arts."
The path to Butera's ouster started with a May 4 blog post by Keryl McCord, operations director for Alternative ROOTS, a group of artists that advocates for social and economic justice causes. McCord recounted a National Endowment for the Arts meeting in which, during a breakout session about increasing diversity in the arts, Butera said that NAfME's executive board was all white and there was nothing he could do given board members are elected by the membership.
"Further, (Butera said) membership isn't diverse because, ‘Blacks and Latinos lack the keyboard skills needed for this field,'" McCord wrote. "He also intimated that music theory is too difficult for them as an area of study."
McCord further claimed that when pressed on board diversity, the CEO "stormed out of the room." http://bit.ly/24S1b8B Jesse Rosen, CEO of the League of American Orchastras, said McCord's account was accurate in a seperate post on the league's website. http://bit.ly/1TcXMIS
The blog post generated a flood of criticism directed at Butera, particularly on social media. Butera responded in a lengthy post on his Facebook page in which he accused McCord of writing a "deeply inaccurate portrayal of the dialogue which took place that day."
Butera said that, yes, he noted his board was all white and there was nothing he could do as CEO given the association's membership elects board members. He also said that he pointed out that the field of music educators, much like the general population, is skewed toward white individuals.
"We have had ongoing and rich discussions in our association community about how best to address this issue, but have not yet been able to actualize a solution," he said. "This is not for lack of trying, but simply because of the enormous complexity of the issue." http://bit.ly/1TRCDUL
Butera, who has been CEO of NAfME since 2010, has not updated his Facebook page since his departure was announced. NAfME wished him well and thanked him "for his service to our purpose and mission." http://bit.ly/1TRCLmW
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CEO DATELINE - Music education association CEO out after alleged racial comments
CEO DATELINE - Music education association CEO out after alleged racial comments
Consider joining CEO Update. Membership gives full access to the latest intelligence on association management, career advancement, compensation trends and networking events, as well as hundreds of listings for senior-level association jobs.
Click here for membership details.
The National Association for Music Education has ousted CEO Michael Butera for making comments some viewed as disparaging to blacks and Latinos. Butera, however, maintains he is the victim of "deeply inaccurate" reporting about what he actually said.
The $8 million-revenue NAfME announced Wednesday that Butera would "not be returning to the organization." The association instead promoted Senior Deputy Executive Director Mike Blakeslee to CEO, pointing to his nearly three decades of work at the group.
"These last few days highlight the need for real, substantive conversation about what must be done to provide access and opportunity to all students no matter where they live," NAfME said in a statement. "This is an ongoing journey and we are ready to play an increasingly important role in convening and facilitating a dialogue and prompting action around how all of us can increase diversity, inclusion and equity in music and the arts."
The path to Butera's ouster started with a May 4 blog post by Keryl McCord, operations director for Alternative ROOTS, a group of artists that advocates for social and economic justice causes. McCord recounted a National Endowment for the Arts meeting in which, during a breakout session about increasing diversity in the arts, Butera said that NAfME's executive board was all white and there was nothing he could do given board members are elected by the membership.
"Further, (Butera said) membership isn't diverse because, ‘Blacks and Latinos lack the keyboard skills needed for this field,'" McCord wrote. "He also intimated that music theory is too difficult for them as an area of study."
McCord further claimed that when pressed on board diversity, the CEO "stormed out of the room." http://bit.ly/24S1b8B Jesse Rosen, CEO of the League of American Orchastras, said McCord's account was accurate in a seperate post on the league's website. http://bit.ly/1TcXMIS
The blog post generated a flood of criticism directed at Butera, particularly on social media. Butera responded in a lengthy post on his Facebook page in which he accused McCord of writing a "deeply inaccurate portrayal of the dialogue which took place that day."
Butera said that, yes, he noted his board was all white and there was nothing he could do as CEO given the association's membership elects board members. He also said that he pointed out that the field of music educators, much like the general population, is skewed toward white individuals.
"We have had ongoing and rich discussions in our association community about how best to address this issue, but have not yet been able to actualize a solution," he said. "This is not for lack of trying, but simply because of the enormous complexity of the issue." http://bit.ly/1TRCDUL
Butera, who has been CEO of NAfME since 2010, has not updated his Facebook page since his departure was announced. NAfME wished him well and thanked him "for his service to our purpose and mission." http://bit.ly/1TRCLmW
MORE CEO DATELINE