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GP McLeer named new executive director of SC Arts Alliance

George Patrick McLeerGeorge Patrick (GP) McLeer, Jr., administrator of the City of Mauldin's Office of Cultural Affairs, has been named to succeed Betty Plumb as executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, SCAA President Rose Sheheen of Camden announced today. McLeer officially will take the reins of the statewide nonprofit arts advocacy and service organization on July 1, with Plumb assisting in the transition until September 1, including the relocation of the SCAA office from Rock Hill, Sheheen said. "The Arts Alliance Board completed a five-month search for its new executive director, and we were quite pleased to attract a number of highly qualified candidates, which made the selection process exceedingly difficult. However, GP was the board's unanimous choice," Sheheen said. "Not only has he been a board member since 2011, most recently as first vice president, but he also brings knowledge, enthusiasm, vigor, youth and passion to a most important position in the art world of South Carolina. It is with excitement and confidence that the Art Alliance welcomes GP as its next leader!" Sheheen continues, "He has extensive experience working with government officials and a broad spectrum of artists and arts agencies. As the sole employee of a nonprofit arts center and local government office, he has been responsible for everything from booking acts to grantwriting and even operating the lights during performances." Plumb, who has headed the SCAA for 27 years, achieved state and national prominence as a leader in advocacy for public funding of the arts and arts education. In recent weeks, she was announced as winner of the 2016 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award, in the individual category; the "Together for Good Advocacy Award," from the S.C. Association of Non Profit Organizations (SCANPO); and the S.C. Theatre Association's advocacy award. McLeer thanked Plumb "for her years of service in building the organization to the level it is today. The next chapter for the SCAA would not be possible without her having written the one before it. I am excited and honored to be selected as the next executive director for the SCAA. I have lived in South Carolina my whole life and have seen how the arts have positively impacted the lives of my family, friends and community. My passion has always been to help ensure that the arts can thrive in my community, so to be able to expand that passion to all communities in South Carolina is something I am ecstatic about. I look forward to working with the board of directors to continue advancing the arts for all South Carolinians, and to partnering with artists, arts administrators, advocates and community leaders all over the state to help the arts grow in South Carolina." McLeer's current responsibilities include managing the Mauldin Cultural Center, a repurposed 1937 school that hosts 30,000 people and more than 1,500 events annually, and handling all city-wide marketing efforts. He was responsible for starting the Railroad Concert Series, an annual free series featuring locally and nationally known performers; managing the Mauldin BBQ Cook-Off, a signature community event; and creating the Maudlin Public Art Trail, a 10-year continuous cycle of public art installations. Before working for the City of Mauldin, he was executive director of the Mauldin Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization. McLeer, 27, is a 2010 graduate of the College of Charleston's Arts Management Program. He lives in Fountain Inn.

Join us for a conversation: What’s Next for Creative South Carolina?

Free session! How can South Carolina grow a strong, adaptable creative sector that produces value for all communities and benefits all citizens? What are the key opportunities and challenges that we must address? What are the important next steps we need to take? Join the South Carolina Arts Commission and the South Carolina Arts Alliance as we explore these questions and plan the next big move for the arts in our state. This free, highly interactive, facilitated conversation is open to arts leaders, community and nonprofit leaders, creative professionals, artists, and anyone else with a strong interest in the creative future of the Palmetto State. This conversation is a pre-conference session conveniently scheduled during SCANPO's South Carolina Nonprofit Summit taking place March 9-11 in Spartanburg. (You do not have to register for the Nonprofit Summit to take part in the Creative South Carolina conversation.)

  • What's Next for Creative South Carolina? A Community Conversation
  • Wednesday, March 9, 10 a.m - noon
  • Chapman Cultural Center (Rainey Conference Room, Moseley Building) 200 East St. John Street, Spartanburg, S.C.
The session is free, but RSVPs are required. Email Kevin Flarisee by March 4 to reserve your space. About the South Carolina Nonprofit Summit Organized by the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organization (SCANPO), the 2016 South Carolina Nonprofit Summit offers something for just about everyone on your team. Directors, managers and even board members can choose from 60 sessions organized in five tracks: CollaborACTION, Leadership, Fundraising, Marketing, and Finance & Operations. Find out more about the Summit on SCANPO's website.