Director of Kalamazoo Russian Festival resigns
By Bryce Hoekenga / Kalamazoo Gazette
Friday, January 22, 2010
KALAMAZOO — After more than a decade of promoting Russian culture in the Kalamazoo area, Jerolyn Selkirk has stepped down as the director of the annual Kalamazoo Russian Festival.
Michael Stoline, president of the Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership, which sponsors the festival, announced at the organization’s meeting Tuesday night that Selkirk had resigned as the festival’s director.
Stoline said Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership will honor Selkirk for her work on the festival at its meeting in February.
The Pushkin Partnership hosts the Russian Festival each November at Western Michigan University’s Fetzer Center. The 14th festival was held in November, and Stoline said Selkirk had been the director for about 12 years.
“We’re all disappointed but we really appreciate the leadership she has given us,” Stoline said, adding that being the festival director requires “a tremendous amount of coordination and organization involving many areas of the community, and she was able to pull all that together and make (the festival) happen.”
Selkirk is out of town and was unavailable for comment. In 2008, Colleagues International, a Kalamazoo-based organization that facilitates international exchange programs, gave Selkirk its first Citizen Diplomat of the Year Award.
Stoline said the Pushkin Partnership’s steering committee hopes to have a new festival director appointed by late February. He said the new director likely will be a steering committee member or someone familiar with the festival’s operations.
Pushkin is Kalamazoo’s sister city in Russia and will celebrate its 300th anniversary June 24-27. Stoline said a delegation of at least 10 people from the Pushkin Partnership, including Selkirk, will attend Pushkin’s celebration.
The 15th annual Kalamazoo Russian Festival will be held Nov. 13. Stoline said he does not foresee any major changes for the future festivals
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Friday, January 22, 2010
KALAMAZOO — After more than a decade of promoting Russian culture in the Kalamazoo area, Jerolyn Selkirk has stepped down as the director of the annual Kalamazoo Russian Festival.
Michael Stoline, president of the Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership, which sponsors the festival, announced at the organization’s meeting Tuesday night that Selkirk had resigned as the festival’s director.
Stoline said Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership will honor Selkirk for her work on the festival at its meeting in February.
The Pushkin Partnership hosts the Russian Festival each November at Western Michigan University’s Fetzer Center. The 14th festival was held in November, and Stoline said Selkirk had been the director for about 12 years.
“We’re all disappointed but we really appreciate the leadership she has given us,” Stoline said, adding that being the festival director requires “a tremendous amount of coordination and organization involving many areas of the community, and she was able to pull all that together and make (the festival) happen.”
Selkirk is out of town and was unavailable for comment. In 2008, Colleagues International, a Kalamazoo-based organization that facilitates international exchange programs, gave Selkirk its first Citizen Diplomat of the Year Award.
Stoline said the Pushkin Partnership’s steering committee hopes to have a new festival director appointed by late February. He said the new director likely will be a steering committee member or someone familiar with the festival’s operations.
Pushkin is Kalamazoo’s sister city in Russia and will celebrate its 300th anniversary June 24-27. Stoline said a delegation of at least 10 people from the Pushkin Partnership, including Selkirk, will attend Pushkin’s celebration.
The 15th annual Kalamazoo Russian Festival will be held Nov. 13. Stoline said he does not foresee any major changes for the future festivals
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