Director is out, wages are up in board’s changes
Brasstown– It started with signs proclaiming, “People not politics.” It ended with new leadership at the folk school.
The Board of Directors of John C. Campbell Folk School announced in a release Thursday afternoon that Jerry Jackson was no longer executive director, with Deputy Director Bethany Chaney appointed to serve as interim executive director. A search for a permanent executive director will begin immediately.
At the same time, the board approved several initiatives, including the development of a Community Advisory Committee and instituting a minimum wage of $15 hour by the end of this year at the folk school, according to the release.
A few weeks ago, orange signs with black lettering began popping up in areas around the folk school,
which sits on the Cherokee and Clay county line off of Brasstown Road. With “opinion” carefully printed across the top, the signs made statements like, “We no longer serve the community that built us,” “Folks don’t matter at the folk school” and “Folk school crisis??? Leadership crisis!”
At the bottom of each sign was the hashtag #GoBackToPenland – a clear shot at Jackson, who previously worked with Penland School of Crafts.
The reason for the signs became more clear on April 5, when a notice appeared on Facebook proclaiming that staff at John C. Campbell Folk School had formed the Folk School Employees Union to represent their interests for the purpose of collective bargaining.
“We know that having a voice in decisions that affect the entire folk school will help us build a stronger community,” read the statement by the FSEU Organizing Committee, which has since been removed from social media. “We want to partner with leadership to work together toward our shared collective goals of the sustainable growth, financial health and responsible success of the folk school.”
The statement added that “an overwhelming majority of us have signed a petition to unionize, and we hope that the management and board of directors respect our choice and will sit down with us, and our union representatives, to negotiate improvements, without delay. We request an affirmative yes or no response in writing as an all staff email by close of business on Monday, April 10.”
While nothing was released publicly that day, internal discussions were already taking place that ultimately led to Thursday’s announcement. Even with Jackson’s departure, the board took time to recognize his local accomplishments.
“Jerry has been an innovator since he joined the folk school in August 2017,” the release says. ”He was the driver behind Olive’s Porch in downtown Murphy, the Artist in Residence program, Studio Coordinator initiatives, artist mentorships, the folk school’s Strategic and Campus Master Plans, Friends & Family Day and a host of other initiatives. Jerry has also led the folk school through the pandemic, an almost 14-month closure and a reopening challenged by COVID protocols, supply-chain shortages and inflationary cost increases.”
Dina Norris, president of the board of directors, thanked Jackson for his “dedicated service.”
“Jerry has led the folk school through a period of significant growth and change, and we are deeply grateful for his leadership and hard work,” she said. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Jackson was deputy director of Penland School of Crafts when the nonprofit folk school’s board of directors partnered with Boardwalk Consulting to conduct a wide-ranging national search, reaching out to more than 200 potential candidates before making a final decision.
“In Jerry, we have a new leader who will inspire and develop our staff, lead strategic planning and operations, and be the engaging voice of our school,” Trudy Strawn, then chair of the folk school’s board of directors, said at the time of his hiring. “Jerry’s extensive experience, deep commitment to the arts community, personality and passion will lead the folk school forward to its centennial in 2025 and beyond.”
Replacing him at least temporarily two years before that date is Chaney, who “has a deep understanding of the folk school’s mission and values,” according to the release from the new board.
“I am honored to serve as interim executive director of John C. Campbell Folk School,” Chaney said. “I am committed to working with the board of directors, staff and community to ensure that the folk school continues to provide high-quality educational programs and experiences for our students and visitors.”
By Friday afternoon, the signs stating #GoBackToPenland were gone from nearby roadsides.