Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Trustees of the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro on Wednesday night issued the following statement, saying that it had "accepted the resignation of Executive Director Michael Helmstadter, effective at8 amThursday, July 20.
"Following the acceptance of MrHelmstadter’s resignation, all NECCA Board members resigned, effective immediately.
"Progress has been made, coaches have returned to work, and classes are resuming. The board is taking this opportunity to step aside so that new leadership can continue the conversation. We look forward to seeing the new building filled with students.
"Mel Martin, President
"Tracy Prentiss, VP
"Linda Shrier Schiffer"
NECCA and the Brattleboro community suffered a shock July 12by the news of the firing of the founders, twin sisters Elsie Smith andSerenity Smith Forchion. The twins, as they are generally known, were removed by the board for unspecified reasons dealing with finances. A living soap opera then ensued, leading to protests, the resignation of coaches, students wanting their money back, and ultimately a shake up of leadership in order to save the institution.
NECCA is seen as a small but important part of the region's post-Vermont Yankee economy.
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