Major changes are afoot at the City Opera House (COH). Michigan State University’s Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, which manages operations and finances for the historic Traverse City venue, announced that it would eliminate two full-time positions and, in turn, expand several part-time positions and volunteer efforts.

"We’ve had a successful year but realize we can be more efficient by stream-lining the duties of operations and marketing into one position,” says Opera House Board Co-chair Sara Harding.

Eliminated: the position of general manager, held by Diana Barrie; and that of event services manager, held by Katie Granger. Expanded: the hours of several part-time employees and the role of Kristi Dockter, who was brought in as a part-time marketing and public relations director in September.

Dockter will now assume the duties of full-time director of operations and marketing, as well as carry the responsibility for overseeing rentals and day-to-day operations of the COH, says Robert Hoffman, public relations manager for Wharton.

“Wharton has a very successful model of how we operate,” says Hoffman. “What we’ve done over the last year is really evaluate the operations of the City Opera House and see where we could consolidate and trim. It became clear that marketing and public relations was what was under-utilized.”

The East Lansing-based organization came on board with the City Opera House in an advisory capacity in July of 2010. It officially took over operations, bookings and finances in September. Since that time, Wharton’s Ryan Clute has been managing marketing for the City Opera House, and Hoffman has been managing public relations – both from East Lansing.

“Its really hard to do that when you’re not in the community,” he says.

He adds, “Its no fun to let anyone go, but we needed to eliminate those positions so we could focus more on public relations and marketing. If we could phase that out more, we could centralize in Traverse City a little more. And we could have a tighter running machine.”

When Wharton signed on to manage the COH, the city-owned venue carried a $250,000 operational debt. Although the deal didn’t require Wharton to cover any part of the existing debt, Wharton did agree to absorb any financial losses incurred over the ensuring three years in which Wharton – for $75,000 a year – would manage the facility.

How are the financials now?

Hoffman declined to offer up any numbers, but pointed to other recent administrative changes as proof that the university venue is leading the COH in the right direction: “We are proud to say the Traverse City Opera House is self-sufficient at the present time, and the financial picture looks positive. Sales and donations are good,” he says. “Last September the City Opera House hired Kathleen Kenny as full-time development director, a previously under-utilized position at the Opera House. Restructuring brings a salary savings a venue can always use, plus helps streamline operations.”