The executive director of the Pensacola Little Theatre has resigned amid a review of the organization’s finances.
A statement was released by Pensacola Little Theatre’s Board of Trustees on May 28 that says recent concerns regarding “disputed expenses” were brought to the attention of members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Since then, PLT Executive Director Sid Williams has submitted his resignation.
Sid Williams
“A thorough financial review is underway, and we will seek to independently certify all findings,” PLT’s Board of Trustees said in the statement. “While we are still gathering all the facts, we want to be clear: accountability and the trust of our community are non-negotiable values.”
The statement emphasizes that the staff, artists, volunteers, donors and patrons remain committed to the ongoing mission of The Clark Family Cultural Center and Pensacola Little Theatre of enriching the community through the power of the performing arts, as it has done over the past 90 years.
The statement does not address the specific nature or amount of the disputed expenses.
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Williams also issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that his resignation is not an “impulse decision” but one that still weighs heavy on him.
Williams said he needs to prioritize the personal objectives he set out to accomplish and shift his focus back to the “very things that first afforded my capacity to serve.”
He says he is “deeply proud of the work” PLT has accomplished over the past eight seasons and he remains grateful for the opportunity to lead the team and will continue to support PLT and its programs and people.
“I’m not naïve to the ambitious array of stories being created surrounding my departure – some far more outlandish than others – though I suppose a little drama does come with the territory,” Williams said. “I want to leave no question as to my intention to support the needs of the organization during this time of transition, including a review of certain administrative and financial processes as the organization takes on the great responsibility of operating a new, sustainable source of revenue.”
Williams said he recognizes he is “organizationally aware enough to grasp my strengths in fundraising and communications,” while recognizing the business acumen needed to lead the organization forward.
“While there have been questions regarding disputed expenses,” Williams wrote. “I remain dedicated and compliant with the board throughout the transition, aligned with our collective goal to remain transparent and fiscally responsible in all of our practices. During our review, I assure donors, patrons, and supporters to remain resolute in the organization’s commitment to be good stewards of monies entrusted to the nonprofit.”
The specific nature or amount of the disputed expenses are not disclosed in the statements issued by the PLT Board of Trustees or Williams. Both parties declined to provide additional information about the disputed expenses when contacted by the News Journal.
According to Williams bio on the PLT website, he is a Mississippi native who relocated to Pensacola from New York City while working with the Savannah College of Art and Design.
He serves as chairman of Visit Pensacola, president of the Stamped Film Festival, and is an active member of Sunday’s Child. Williams said he will remain president of Visit Pensacola through the end of the fiscal year.
He is also a member of the local Association of Fundraising Professionals, American Association of Community Theatre, and Leadership Pensacola’s class of 2019.
The Pensacola Little Theatre is a nonprofit community theatre that has been providing theatrical experiences in Northwest Florida since 1936. The organization is close to completing a $7 million dollar renovation of its facility, the Clark Family Cultural.
This story has been updated with additional information.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Sid Williams of Pensacola Little Theatre resigns
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