After more than seven years with Celtic Studios, Patrick Mulhearn has announced he’s resigning from his post as executive director, effective June 30.
“While I know this may come as a surprise to many of you that the ‘Mayor of Celticville’ would step down from what must be one of the greatest jobs in the history of Baton Rouge, it has been nearly eight years since I took the helm,” Mulhearn says in a lengthy Facebook post announcing his decision. “In politics, that is the equivalent of two terms … and I have always been a big fan of term limits.”
The 41-year-old says he has “too much gas left in my tank to not have greater goals than facilitating productions” at Celtic, and alludes to the downturn in Louisiana’s film industry in recent years.
“Once we fix the film legislation this June to make it sensible and stable for both the film industry and taxpayers, I am ready to put the pedal to the metal to pursue and create new opportunities for myself and everyone else here,” reads his post. “I simply cannot do that tied to my current position indefinitely.”
Mulhearn notes the success Celtic has had during his tenure, saying the studio hosted more than $1 billion worth of film and TV work, adding he still believes the film and entertainment industries are “a great fit” for the state.
