Leadership

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Arts Council Names New Executive Director

Experienced nonprofit leader Pamela Williams-Lime to usher new era as Wyant retires

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 4, 2022) — Pamela Williams-Lime, a skilled nonprofit and business leader from Milwaukee, WI, has been selected to guide the Arts Council into its next generation after a 38-year reign by retiring executive director Gladys Wyant.

 The announcement was made today by Arts Council Board Chair Carol Burrell after a yearlong search for Wyant’s successor involving dozens of applicants and interviews. The recruitment effort was led by search committee chair Ron Quinn with support from the board’s executive committee.

 “We had very big shoes to fill,” Burrell said. “Gladys truly has been Gainesville’s First Lady of the Arts, leaving a lasting imprint on our organization and the arts to be appreciated for years to come throughout our community and region.”

 However, with her own impressive track record of building and rebuilding nonprofits into successful operations, Williams-Lime is well-qualified to step into her new role with the Arts Council, Burrell said. “Our organization could not be in better hands for our future.”

 Quinn said his search committee was impressed with Williams-Lime’s skills in administration, communications, and contract negotiations along with her strong visual arts and museum background. “I am confident Pamela will roll up her sleeves and devote her talents to taking the arts to a whole new level in our community. It will be exciting to watch.”

 Williams-Lime most recently was the executive director of Milwaukee’s Pabst Mansion, a historic homeplace showcasing iconic architecture and an art collection of the storied Pabst beer brewing family of German immigrants. She worked with the City of Milwaukee and a historic preservation committee to support capital improvements for the Pabst Mansion and turn around finances with successful fund-raising and a series of revenue-generating events.

 From 2012 to 2018, Williams-Lime demonstrated visionary leadership in transitioning a former arts center building in Appleton, WI, into two distinct centers as the Trout Museum of Art and the Fox Cities Building for the Arts. In a short period of time, her rebranding effort fostered a collaborative environment for seven cultural nonprofits while increasing attendance from 12,000 visitors to over 100,000 annually with numerous juried art exhibits and events.

 Williams-Lime says the move to Gainesville will bring her closer to family in the Atlanta area. In addition, “I look forward to continuing the impactful work that is being done by The Arts Council to engage and enrich the lives of the community in Gainesville and its surrounding region.”

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