The San Antonio Symphony announced today that Jack Downey, a local businessman, fundraising consultant and retired Air Force officer, will take the helm as the organizations new CEO.
Downey said this position was an irresistible opportunity:
"I accepted this position because I believe arts and culture are the vital signs of any great city. The symphony is magnificent on stage, but what Sebastian and our musicians do off stage is just as important. They are the heart of the city's music ecosystem. They inspire and teach students, who make music a path to higher education. Every day of the year our musicians are out in the community, working, volunteering, touching lives. We have a great story to tell," Downey said.
The symphony board selected Downey in a unanimous vote, and board president Dennert Ware said they are excited for the future:
"Jack is a proven leader with a long record of service in our community. He built the Children's Shelter here into a national model, and we expect he will be just as successful taking our world-class symphony into its last season at the Majestic and then on to our permanent home at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts," Ware said.
In a release to media on Wednesday morning, the symphony said it is looking forward to the complement of Downey’s fundraising and management experience to the artistic leadership of Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing.
"Strong business leadership is the backbone of a thriving orchestra and makes great concerts possible," said Lang-Lessing. "It's an exciting new era for the performing arts in San Antonio. We are thrilled the search committee found Jack Downey as the Symphony prepares for a wonderful new chapter in our long history and our 75th anniversary season at the new Tobin Center."
