HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — The Dixie will soon be under new direction after Huntingdon’s Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to appoint Kimberly Kraft McLemore, currently the Vice President of Education and Community Engagement at the Nashville Symphony, as the new executive director of The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center.
The appointment caps a search that drew 16 applicants and involved a 10-person interview panel.
Mayor Chad Edwards told the council he was confident in the selection.
“It’s a big deal to win somebody like that,” Edwards said.
Kraft McLemore has worked with the Nashville Symphony since 2017, where she oversaw the orchestra’s education programming and community partnerships. Before joining the Symphony, Kraft McLemore taught high school choral and theater arts in Metro Nashville Public Schools and served on the Fine Arts Standards Writing Committee for the Tennessee Board of Education.
She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Penn State.
Mayor Chad Edwards welcomed Kraft McLemore to The Dixie this evening (Thursday, February 26), where she toured the facility ahead of her first day.
Kraft McLemore is from Rhode Island, originally, but she graduated from Martin Westview.
Her husband has family ties to the area, and the couple already spends a lot of time in Carroll County.
“I’m thrilled to be here,” she said. “I’m thrilled to join the team here at the Dixie, and spending more time in Carroll County,” she said.
As for her vision for the center, Kraft McLemore said she wants to take her time.
“I want to learn more about the venue before I dive in with too much direction,” she said.
Kraft McLemore officially begins her new role as Executive Director tomorrow (Friday, February 27), but tonight, she gets to experience what The Dixie is all about.
“I am here as a patron to enjoy the performance and see all that the Dixie Carter has to offer,” Kraft McLemore said. “I’m excited to see a performance in the hall before I start work tomorrow.”
