New Director Named For Sacramento Art, Museums and Convention Agencies

Jody Ulich has been named Director of the City's Convention and Cultural Services Department. That includes the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Fairy Tale Town, the Historic City Cemetery, and the Discovery Science Center.

Ulich says she believes many of the entities can work together to create new events that will draw people to the city.

"When I first started exploring the department, I kind of thought it was the Island of Misfit Toys, but, when you start looking at it, they can all sort of complement each other."

Ulich will also oversee events at the Convention Center, the Sacramento Theater, the Old Sacramento Historic District, and the Crocker Art Museum.

She says the department's priority must be scheduling as many shows, conventions and exhibitions as possible.   

"The municipal auditorium, which is actually a gorgeous, gorgeous building is, as I understand it, is very under-programmed. And so, it's looking at the capacity of that, making sure that we are having the opportunities to get things in there as needed."

She says she will spend her first six months in the position listening to people.

"Seems like so many people have a stake in these assets and they should. And, so, really, the first couple of months are getting to know what the assets are all about and the people of Sacramento and what the long-term vision is."

Her long-term vision includes assisting the privately-run -and struggling- opera and philharmonic. Both entities recently canceled their fall seasons.

"I'm not sure that you can have a world-class city unless you have those."

Her first day on the job will be September 2nd. She says one of her first acts will be reviewing the events that led up to the cancellation of Old Sacramento's Gold Rush Days. 

For the past seven years, Ulich has been the director of the Fort Worth, Texas Arts Council.  The pay for her new position is $160,000 annually.