ARTS COUNCIL CHOSES KELSO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AS NEW LEADER

Thomas Howard, principal of St. Augustine School in Kelso, Mo., will be the next executive director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

Ironically, former executive director Daniel North resigned in July to take a job teaching art in St. Louis.

Thiry-six candidates applied for the job, including one from each coast. Howard was chosen for his depth of administrative experience, his knowledge of the region and his networking abilities, according to Dr. Edwin Smith, a member of the Arts Council board.

"Tom Howard is just the person we need," Smith said. "He is experienced in fund raising and working with community and he has good organizational skills."

Over the past five years of leadership by arts-oriented directors Greg Jones and Daniel North, the Arts Council has increased the number of programs it offers from 63 to more than 260. Its summer programs for children have been broadened dramatically to encompass many different kinds of arts, and a cinema night and demonstration night at the galleries are well attended.

Directing the arts council presents "an interesting challenge," Howard said. "... This is a unique opportunity to do something that's community involvement in Cape Girardeau and a good next career step for me because of the involvement in development and fund raising areas."

One of his first goals is to make the arts council's programs better known to the community. "I'm fairly involved in Cape Girardeau, but until last week I didn't go to any of their 260 programs," Howard said. "I think there are people who are not taking advantage of them."

Howard graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1973 and from Southeast in 1978 with a degree in political science. He moved back to Cape Girardeau in 1985 after graduating from the College of William and Mary in Virginia with a master's degree in education.

Howard has been at St. Augustine School for the past 10 years, eight as the school principal. He previously taught at St. Mary's Cathedral School in Cape Girardeau and was coordinator of Greek life at the university.

Howard lives in Cape Girardeau. He and his wife, attorney Diane Howard, have two children, Matthew and Katie.

His last day at St. Augustine School will be Sept. 29 and he will start at the Arts Council Oct. 2. His immediate challenge will be to organize the annual pre-Christmas arts and crafts fair, the Arts Council's biggest fund raiser.

He has the advantage of being assisted by Laura Brothers, who worked as the organization's assistant director under Beverly Strohmeyer in the early 1990s. Brothers recently was rehired as assistant director when Leslie Stucker left the organization to attend graduate school in England.

Brothers has a master's degree in fine arts.