Kimberley Bush to lead DC Center for three months
While The Center's director David Mariner takes a much-needed break, Kimberley Bush steps in to keep things running
For the past decade, David Mariner has been the public face of The DC Center. He’s attended nearly every community event, sought to expand the Center’s programming, and has lead the fight to find it a permanent home. But this week, Mariner announced he will be taking a three-month sabbatical.
“This sabbatical has been planned for many years — it’s not a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Mariner says. “It’s good for both the Center and for me to have some time off. It gives me the opportunity to reflect on my time there, and think about some of the bigger picture issues I don’t get to address when I’m at the Center dealing with day-to-day issues.”
Kimberley Bush, the Center’s director of arts and cultural programs, will step into the role of interim executive director, while Chris Rothermel, a certified nonprofit professional, will oversee day-to-day operations. “Kimberley knows the Center, how we operate, and is a valuable team member,” says Mariner. “And Chris comes to us with a lot of expertise in nonprofit management, which I think is going to be valuable for us, not just now but for the foreseeable future.”
Bush, who oversees multiple arts or cultural programs at the Center and also serves as executive director of the DC Shorts Film Festival, is “honored” that the Center’s board of directors has confidence in her ability to take over the helm from Mariner.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for me to continue the work that we, as a team, have done, and to lead the team over the next three months,” she says. “My main focus is to maintain what we’re currently doing, and the quality of service we provide to our community. I’ve got a lot of experience working in the community, and I think I will do a pretty good darn job of leading the Center.”
For more information on The DC Center, or a listing of its various programs, call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
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