Richard Brewer was hired in June 2012 to head the Cherry Blossom Festival. Earlier this week, he resigned.
The president and CEO of Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival has resigned after just four months on the job.
Richard Brewer came to Macon from Charleston, SC, where he operated a company named Variety Services, LLC, since 1982.
He also founded a festival in Chattanooga, Tenn.
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According to Mark Stevens, Chairman of Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, Brewer resigned voluntarily this week.
Stevens would not comment on why Brewer resigned.
He said, "Richard still has family in Charleston, South Carolina and wishes to return to be with them and work in his consulting business."
Brewer was hired as the festival's CEO in June to replace Karen Lambert who served as head of the festival since 2009, but left to take over the Peyton Anderson Foundation.
George McCanless, Chairman of the festival could not be reached for comment.
Some board members told 13WMAZ they didn't know anything about Brewer's resignation except what they read in an email from McCanless.
Here's the text of that email:
TO: Cherry Blossom Board of Directors
I need to inform you that last night the Executive Committee accepted Richard Brewer's resignation as President and CEO of the Cherry Blossom Festival. As a result, we need to cancel the board meeting scheduled for tomorrow. We are actively working with the very capable CBF staff on both day to day and longer term items, and after meeting with them this morning I feel confident that the year-end Ball Drop as well as our 31st annual festival will be as successful as in past years. But I hope you can understand that we are not at the point where I feel we can have a quality board meeting that justifies your time being there. I would propose that we move the board meeting to Thursday November 8th at 9AM. Please let me or Lydia know if this will work with your schedule.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me, or any member of the Executive Committee, to discuss. Thank you for your time and commitment to the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Regards,
George McCanless