OCPAC chief to act in new role

Elia Powers

After eight years as president and chief executive officer, Jerry

Mandel stepped down Friday from his lead post at the Orange County

Performing Arts Center.

Mandel, 65, is leaving to become vice chairman of the center’s

board of directors. He will focus primarily on fundraising for the

new 2,000-seat Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and 500-seat

Samueli Theater, scheduled to open next fall.

Judith O’Dea Morr, the center’s executive vice president, is

taking over as interim president until the board of directors names

Mandel’s replacement.

“I realized that I couldn’t keep coming to the theater every

single night,” Mandel said. “It’s time for me to move on to another

role and let someone else take care of daily operations.”

His transition to vice chairman of the board was announced last

year as a search for a new president began. Mandel said the official

announcement was timed for the end of the fiscal year, and after the

release of performance schedules for the 2005-06 season and the

inaugural season in the Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Mandel’s move is the latest major personnel change at the center.

In late March, Michael Gordon, chairman of StoneCreek Capital in

Irvine, was named to be Paul Folino’s successor as chairman of the

board of directors.

Folino’s three-year term ends this summer. He was unavailable for

comment Friday.

Mandel’s tenure was highlighted by the announcement of the arts

center’s building plans and the completion of the first stages of

construction.

Nearly $130 million of the target $200 million has been raised for

the new facilities, Mandel said.

The final 15 months of fundraising are the most important, said

Mandel, whose capital campaign experience comes from working on

higher education projects.

Mandel said his main goal is outreach. He plans to concentrate on

making community appearances and bringing potential donors to see the

center.

“We’ve reached the people who know us,” Mandel said. “The key is

to expand the campaign to those who aren’t as familiar with our

project and don’t understand why it’s so important.”

In addition to the capital campaign, Mandel said he intends to

develop a jazz education program.

Mandel said the choice of Morr as interim president was easily

made.

“I’m comfortable in the role,” said Morr, who served as interim

president before Mandel’s arrival. “The challenge will be to make

sure that the transition is smooth and effective.”

“The team is still together,” she added. “Jerry is just using his

energies in areas where we need him most.”

Morr joined the center in 1985, a year prior to the performing

arts center’s opening, as general manager. She has been executive

vice president since 2000.

In September of 2004, Folino said he expected to have a new

president hired within a year.

On Friday, neither Morr nor Mandel gave a timetable for a

decision.

Mandel isn’t wasting any time getting going on his new assignment.

“I woke up at 5 a.m. today [Friday] and typed three e-mails with

ideas,” he said. “I’m ready to get to work.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powers@latimes.com.