Shakeup coming on Remai Modern board

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Saskatoon's Remai Modern Art Museum is losing another key member of its leadership.

Scott Verity, the chair of the museum's board of directors, is not being asked to stay on, according to a document obtained by CBC News. 

Verity's impending departure comes only two months after Gregory Burke announced he will exit as CEO in March.

CBC News has obtained a copy of an email that Remai Modern's new chief operating officer (COO), Celene Anger, sent to all Remai Modern staff on Wednesday.

Anger's email discussed the results of an in-camera meeting held on Tuesday by the city's governance and priorities committee, on which all city councillors sit. The names of the newly appointed board members were made public late Tuesday night at a public portion of the meeting. 

The discussion leading to the announcement is confidential. 

The committee was having its annual meeting to hear which Remai Modern board members whose two-year terms expire in March have been recommended to stay on Remai's board for another two years. 

Out of six current Remai board members who's terms expire next month, only one is being recommended to stay on. Board Chair Scott Verity is among the departures.

City councillors Mairin Loewen and Cynthia Block, plus regular board members Fatima Coovadia and Grant Stoneman, are recommended to stay, according to Anger's email.

Verity, whose term also expires in March, is not. 

The CBC has reached out to Verity several times for comment. The city, which owns the museum, declined to comment on Verity's status on the board.

"The gallery's board and governance is a political issue," said city spokesperson Julie Mintenko. "City administration will not be commenting. The process to appoint members to the Remai Modern board is underway."

City council still needs to approve the re-appointments plus the appointment of five recommended new members. They are: 

• Grant McConnell
• Allison Lachance
• Debra Pozega Osburn
• Louis Christ
• Doug Matheson

"Though this represents a change for the Remai Modern board, a shift like this isn't uncommon for a government-appointed board," Anger wrote to staff about the proposed changes to the board 

"Transition periods are always challenging," she added.

The seven other people currently serving on the board include vice chair Trent Bester, treasurer Jenna Richards, secretary Alison Norlen, plus regular members Beau Atkins, Karen Chad, Veronica Gamracy and Garnet McElree.

'The Remai Modern of the future'

Anger also gave an update on the search for Burke's replacement. Burke is still slated to remain at the museum until March 15, said Stephanie McKay, a spokesperson for Remai Modern, on Tuesday.

"We hope to have an update about the search for a new CEO in the coming weeks," Anger told Remai staff in her email.

Anger herself only joined Remai as COO, on an interim basis, late last week, according to McKay.

"We have created the position of chief operating officer to work alongside our CEO and leadership team as we imagine and build the Remai Modern of the future," said McKay.

"Gregory's Burke's departure gave the organization the opportunity to review the executive structure."

McKay said that while the COO will focus on human resources and finance, the new CEO will focus on more artistic issues such as stakeholder relations and programming.

Key financial figures coming

Remai Modern opened to the public in October 2017.

Last October, on the museum's one-year anniversary, the museum reported strong membership and general revenue figures for its first year of operation, although other revenue lines, such as fundraising, store sales, and event space rentals, went unreported.

The audited financial statement's for the museum's first full calendar year, 2018, are expected to be presented to the board of directors next month.