Molly Sasse French will resign her position as executive director of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera at the end of January to focus on her health and family, according to a news release from the CSO.
Sasse French has been on medical leave since the beginning of November.
“Molly Sasse French became the executive director of the CSO when its very existence was challenged by changes in funding and by a difficult economy,” past board president Spencer McCallie said.
“She brought together an efficient and effective staff, controlled expenses, increased fundraising and enhanced our musical and educational missions to the community. The CSO Board is grateful for her extraordinary leadership. We also thank her for the pleasure we have had serving with her on the CSO Board.”
Sasse French took the position in 2007, replacing John Werhle. During her tenure, she was part of the search team that found Kayoko Dan, who replaced the retiring Bob Bernhardt as CSO’s music director. Bernhardt stayed on as music director emeritus and principal pops conductor.
Other changes during Sasse French’s time as executive director included the dissolving of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Guild, which had served for 61 years as a fundraising auxiliary organization for the CSO. The move reflected a shift in how organizations like the CSO operated, Sasse French said at the time.
Molly Sasse French speaks on March 10, 2015, at ArtsBuild’s Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award ceremony at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga.“Molly is the embodiment of arts advocacy in Chattanooga,” ArtsBuild President Dan Bowers said. “She has served on the staff for a number of arts organizations in Chattanooga, including ArtsBuild. In each of these roles, she has made positive changes, advancing the organizations and the arts as a whole. Although she is stepping down from her official role at the CSO, I am certain she will continue to be a passionate advocate for the arts. We wish her all the best.”
Samantha Teter, the CSO’s director of marketing and corporate partnerships, has been named interim executive director. Teter has been with the CSO since 2012, and previously worked for the Colorado Symphony and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as director of marketing.
She has more than 15 years of experience working in the arts and is a graduate of ArtsBuild’s Holmberg Arts Leadership program.
“We are very fortunate to have someone of Samantha’s caliber who can assume the top leadership role at the CSO on such short notice,” current CSO board Chairman Don McDowell said.