The Metro Council next week will take up the appointment of an interim director of the Baton Rouge Film Commission following the resignation of Liza Kelso, who is leaving the agency after leading it since September 2012.
“I have a job opportunity in the private sector that I will be beginning on Monday, May 11,” says Kelso, who is not elaborating on her new job just yet.
News of Kelso’s resignation became public today when a Metro Council agenda item request was released by Mayor Kip Holden; in the item, the mayor is asking the council to OK the hiring of Elizabeth Hutchinson to lead the film commission on an interim basis.
Hutchinson is program manager for NOVAC:BR, the Baton Rouge arm of the New Orleans Video Access Center, a nonprofit organization that supports the local film industry by offering a variety of free training, programming and other resources.
Holden’s request, which will be taken up on Wednesday, calls for Hutchinson to be paid $33,000 to serve as interim director between May 16 and the end of the year. Holden says money for the contract is available within the existing budget of the film commission. Kelso says that, if hired, Hutchinson will continue to work at NOVAC:BR.
“So it’s all very positive and I’m sure she’ll do a great job,” says Kelso, whose final day on the job with the film commission will be Friday.
—Steve Sanoski
