Tivoli director resigns over dispute

A little over five months after taking the job, Ashley McCue is no longer executive director of The Tivoli Foundation, the board tapped to run the city-owned Tivoli Theatre and Memorial Auditorium.

McCue said in a written statement she disagreed with how things were being run, in particular the relationship between AC Entertainment, contracted to book artists and manage the facilities, and the foundation.

“While I appreciated the initial opportunity and will miss many of my co-workers, I was ethically very uncomfortable with the contract the booking and management company had with the foundation,” she said.

“I also fundamentally disagreed with the business model, as my approach was to ensure the preservation of these two incredible venues the city has entrusted the Foundation to oversee.”

Foundation board Chairman Keith Sanford said it was McCue’s decision to resign and the executive committee of the board was to meet Friday to discuss a timeline and process for finding her replacement.

The board decided last year to create an executive director position to handle “fundraising and friend raising” and to hire an outside company to oversee programming and daily operations. It contracted with AC Entertainment in Knoxville to do that. AC in turn hired Dave Holscher in December as general manager.

“We are settling back and deciding what to do,” Sanford said. “Right now, AC is doing a good job of managing the facilities.”

Sanford said AC is ahead of the projected number of shows the board had budgeted for the year, and “so far most of the shows are getting pretty good support.”

He also said the city has replaced the HVAC unit at the Tivoli and the roof has been repaired.

“Right now, there is a crew in there doing plaster work, and we are looking at new carpet. I would love to have new bathrooms and all that.”

Sanford said other improvements already in the works involve a beefed-up website, improved branding and social media activities and a new concession arrangement.

Contact staff writer Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.