INDIANAPOLIS — Four people on Newfields' Board of Governors have reportedly resigned following the sudden departure of the museum's CEO and president.
Chris Gahl, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Visit Indy, told 13News Mali Bacon, Isaac Bamgbose, Barry Wormser and himself resigned simultaneously Monday, Dec. 4.
Bacon is co-founder of GANGGANG; Bamgbose is the president and CEO of New City Development; and Wormser is the principal attorney for Wormser Legal.
Gahl shared the following statement with 13News:
"My decision is being driven by the Board of Trustees repeatedly not engaging the Board of Governors in critical decision making within our collective board work.
This siloed approach to board governance goes well beyond recent personnel decisions and includes budget, operations, and nearly all strategic decision making.
I continue to care deeply about Newfields’ role within our community, its internal team, and the critical, recent, and acclaimed work over the past 12 months mending relationships in our Black and Brown communities and ensuring all feel more welcomed."
Newfields announced Nov. 10 that Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, who had served as president and CEO of Newfields, was leaving. In her place, the Board of Trustees named Michael Kubacki as interim president and CEO.
Burnette was named president of Newfields in 2022, after the museum began a search for a new leader following a racially insensitive job posting that gained national attention in 2021.
“We thank Dr. Burnette for her service to Newfields,” Newfields Board of Trustees Chair Darrianne Christian said in a release. “She helped deepen our relationships with the community and championed the transformative powers of art and nature. We are grateful for her work on behalf of Newfields and wish her well in her future endeavors.”
13News learned Dr. Sean Huddleston resigned from Newfields' Board of Trustees in November.
He issued the following statement to 13News:
"I joined the board of Newfields in 2021 because in many ways, I saw it as an extension of what we do at Martin University every day. I saw an opportunity to help people see themselves in a space that they didn’t know was for them, accepting of them, and supportive of their interests. For Martin, that’s people who have not felt embraced by higher education. For Newfields, it was the museum and gardens.
With Dr. Burnette’s untimely departure, I feel that my time now needs to be spent focusing on how Martin (and others who may wish to partner with us) can continue that work and further any progress that has been achieved."
He joins three other trustees that resigned from the Newfields board since early October. Those include Adrienne Sims, Gary Hirschberg and Otto Frenzel IV.
The Indiana Black Expo and the Indianapolis Urban League released the following joint statement on Burnette's sudden departure:
"Due to the nature of the announcement and the negative perception it has created, the Newfields board leadership owes the community an explanation about the resignation of Dr. Colette Burnette. Dr. Burnette opened the Newfields’ doors to many African American organizations and the entire community, and we have personally witnessed the buzz and excitement around her leadership. We were looking forward to expanding the partnership with Newfields in 2024, which has now come to a complete halt. She has become a pillar in the community and her expertise and leadership are sorely needed in Indianapolis. When a stellar executive “abruptly resigns,” one must wonder again, are we seriously committed to black talent recruitment and retention in Indiana?"
Wildstyle Paschall, an artist and community advocate, also resigned from his role on Newfields' community council.
Paschall said Newfields asked him to join the council in 2021 to help bridge the gap with the Black community after the racially insensitive job posting.
"They didn't have the courtesy to really talk to the community about what was going on," Paschall said. "They released the information after 5 (p.m.) on a Friday as if we're just going to forget about her and party the weekend away or something. It's just really sad."
When the previous president stepped down, Burnette took the job as CEO.
"She immediately showed what she was about and that was about making real change. I would see her at Newfields and events, but I would also see her in my community and other people's communities around the city," Paschall said.
Paschall said in Burnette's 15 months at Newfields, she created trust in the community.
Kubacki has been a member of the Newfields Board of Trustees since 2014, serving as vice chair from May 2021 through May 2023.
“Mike has a track record as a successful leader and manager in both the public and private sectors, deep knowledge of Newfields, and a passion for our mission,” Christian said.
Kubacki, a Pierceton, Indiana, native, is the chairman of Lake City Bank and its holding company, Lakeland Financial Corporation.