Leadership at the Peace Center pridefully fosters a culture of fear and hostility. During my 3.5 years there, staff turnover was alarmingly high—more than 30 of roughly 40 full-time employees were terminated or resigned in that period. Senior leadership positions reporting directly to the CEO saw multiple rounds of turnover within just a few years; all but one current direct report (the CFO) had been in their role for about a year or less.
In my experience, the CEO’s management style was unpredictable, hostile, and dismissive of her team’s professional expertise. Her reactions could shift abruptly from calm to explosive, creating an environment where staff never knew which version of their leader they would encounter. Many employees walked on eggshells, as direction and feedback were inconsistent and often delivered through yelling, profanity, or personal insults. She openly cussed at employees, called staff members “stupid” to their faces, and spoke negatively about one employee to another—sometimes even disparaging her own team in conversations with donors and patrons.
Her decision-making was frequently shortsighted, rarely data-driven, and uninformed by industry best practices or standards. Input from experienced staff was routinely dismissed with statements like, “your CEO is telling you to do this,” alongside repeated claims that she was “the smartest person here” and that, because she had “been here for 30+ years,” she had “earned the right” to behave however she wanted.
Transparency was another serious concern during my tenure. Senior staff were excluded from board meetings and explicitly instructed not to communicate with trustees, limiting the board’s visibility into internal issues. The CEO and CFO operated in a silo—unapproachable, secretive, and openly resentful when staff asked even basic questions, especially about the ongoing construction projects. The CEO also expressed open disdain for the organization’s programming, frequently saying she “hates every show on stage” and “if I never see another Broadway show again, it’ll be too soon.” It’s hard to understand how a performing arts center can thrive with a leader who openly dislikes the performing arts.
She often claimed she wanted to rebuild Education and Community Engagement, yet hired a new VP every 6–9 months, restricted their ability to do their work, and then blamed them when nothing improved—a pattern I observed across departments. New, innovative ideas to bring the organization into the current decade were routinely dismissed, regardless of data, expertise, or proven metrics demonstrating their viability.
Overall, the environment I experienced was defined by fear, volatility, and a profound lack of respect for other human beings—conditions that make it extraordinarily difficult for talented professionals to succeed or for the organization to reach its full potential.