September 4, 2009 7:12 AM
Changes are coming to the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance.
In a letter sent to supporters by e-mail early Thursday, Alana Tillim, president of the alliance's board of directors, announced that 10-year executive director Julie McLeod will be retiring on Sept. 13.
"During her tenure with SBDA, Julie has built our scholarship program and helped transform events like BASSH and New Works into 'must-see' performances in our community," said Ms. Tillim. "Her presence will be missed, but her legacy and vision will live on in the many years to come."
Ms. McLeod has been with the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance since the inception of the program 30 years ago. She has served as a board member, the vice president, president, and for the past 10 years has been working as the executive director.
Ms. McLeod quipped that she has been threatening to retire from the alliance for several years now and at a board retreat she gave a firm date of March 2010.
According to Ms. McLeod, the "Dance Alliance board decided that replacing me was an action that should happen sooner and moved the date to September of 2009."
Ms. McLeod has invested substantial time and energy to the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance. Throughout her 30 years with them, she has contributed to the development of programs, such as the DaM, the Dancers Ball, Dance Day and BASSH.
She told the News-Press, however, that "it's time for the younger generation to take over and do their part in this nonprofit organization.
Ms. McLeod wouldn't single out any program as a favorite or the most successful of her tenure.
"Its the whole package. We have offered 115 scholarships over the past six years amounting to around $55,000 to people between the ages of eight and seventeen who show talent, dedication and financial need. We are an umbrella organization for 18 local dance groups, which means we provide 501(c)(3) nonprofit sponsorships and hook them into insurance certificates."
Ms. McLeod added that the nonprofit organization has been hurting due to the state of the economy.
"We had to reduce our staff hours by 30 percent and I had to pick up an extra load and because of that I experienced a true and total burnout," Ms. McLeod said.
After she departs on Sept. 13, she plans on taking "a little while and rest, do a little vacationing, and repair my brain."
"You can't stop me though, I am a do-er," she continued. "I have a strong dance history, as an original cast member in West Side Story, and I had my first dance lesson on my third birthday ... This is my passion. I have a strong passion to bring dance to the community and I am terribly proud of what we've accomplished thus far ... and I will continue to work with the dance communities. I don't know how yet, but I am hoping for all kinds of propositions."
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