H'fest's Backer resigns

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- After two years at the helm of Heritagefest, Kathleen Backer has decided to retire as the festival's executive director.

The board of directors announced Backer's resignation in a press release Friday afternoon.

Backer's resignation is effective March 1, 2004.

Backer, with Heritagefest for two and a half years, took the reins of the largest and best-known of New Ulm's annual ethnic-flavored get-togethers Jan. 1, 2002, following the retirement of Leo Berg, who started the festival in the mid-1970s.

Both Backer and Heritagefest president Hugh Nierengarten said Backer's resignation is unrelated to the festival's current financial troubles.

Instead, Backer said she is resigning to be with her husband, Cal, who has had ongoing health problems.

Whether or not Heritagefest finds a successor for Backer will likely hinge upon its organizers' efforts to attract more sponsorship. The festival's board of directors is going to meet on Dec. 22 to decide the festival's fate, pending the outcome of its fundraising efforts. The board will start a search committee for a new executive director if it chooses to move forward, Nierengarten said.

Backer said she is going to stay on with Heritagefest as a member of the board of directors and will also continue to volunteer with the organization.

She first took the reins of Heritagefest in 2002 and made subtle changes that year to the overall mixture of food and entertainment, adding ethnic food demonstrations and Mexican dancers. Despite the changes, the festival still lost $62,000. The next year brought an indoor facility and better weather, but Heritagefest still lost $40,000, leaving it without the cash reserves needed to pay its bills.

The board of directors voted to allow fundraising efforts to continue on Tuesday, extending by one month the period in which Heritagefest organizers need to cover a $100,000-per year commitment for the festival to proceed.

"Under the circumstances, looking at financial issues is not something we expect a new director to deal with, so I wanted to stay on," Backer said from her home Friday night. "Had we not had this issue, it would've come out in September but I didn't think that was a good time."

Backer said she made her decision to retire as executive director this spring after her husband began having problems with his right arm. She said his ordeal made her stop and think about 'what it's all about'.

"It's kind of bittersweet because when I took the position I never dreamed I would be retiring three years after I signed the contract," she said. "I actually expected to stay for about 10 to 15 years."

Nierengarten credited Backer for her efforts to broaden Heritagefest's horizons and for her efforts to gain more sponsorship for the festival. He said the board of directors is only going to choose a new director if it decides that the festival has enough support to continue through 2004.

"I can't say enough good things about Kathleen. She brought a depth of things to the festival and we're really going to miss it," he said.