FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 20, 2011

Buffman Resigns as CEO from RiverPark Center

OWENSBORO, KY. – Zev Buffman’s letter of resignation was approved at Tuesday’s Board of Directors meeting. Buffman’s resignation will be effective November 30th. Mr. Buffman is accepting a position in a region he previously lived. He and his wife, Vilma, felt compelled to return to an area where they had long-standing roots.

During the past eight years, Zev’s vision launched many exciting endeavors. With dedicated help from the RiverPark Center Staff and Board of Directors, Zev’s dreams came true for our region. These initiatives will continue because of the foundation an entire RiverPark team built.

As you know, the Million Dollar Match campaign that made RPC debt-free as of September 1, 2011, ushered in a new era for RiverPark Center and our entire community. This change of executive leadership will not impede that excitement. In fact, just last week the Board of Directors outlined an aggressive and exciting strategic plan for RiverPark Center’s future.

For now, we wanted to inform you of Zev’s decision to leave; and, to assure you that this change of leadership merely opens great possibilities for RiverPark Center. The Board of Directors has assigned a special Task Force to consider all options for the future Executive Leadership of RiverPark Center.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports RiverPark Center with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

RiverPark Center draws winning ticket for Hot Car for Cool Arts raffle 2011

(OWENSBORO, Ky.)  Friday, Sept 2nd at approximately 8:30PM CST Joel Tubbs, of  Delmar, IA,  became the proud new owner of a 2011 Chevy Camaro. Tubb’s name was drawn for the “Hot Car for Cool Arts” fundraising raffle benefitting RiverPark Center’s cultural mission.

The raffle kicked off on Friday, May 9th and ran through Sept 2rd.  The tickets for the raffle were twenty dollars each and a total of over 1,000 were soldfor the fundraiser.

Jeff Danhauer, RPC Fundraising Chair stated, “Originally the idea to do a car raffle appealed to us because we saw it as an opportunity to expand our donor base.  It has given us a great opportunity to be out in the community, participate in regional events and start conversations with folks about the multitude of programs RiverPark hosts, and discover what sort of an impact it has in education and life enrichment in the community.”

RiverPark Center is a non-profit regional performing arts and civic center that entertains and educates nearly 200,000 people – including 35,000 children – annually through nearly 800 events.

The car was purchased from Don Moore Chevy, Owensboro through the generous sponsorship of Don Moore Automotive, Danhauer Drugs. Other partners include: WBIO, Messenger-Inquirer, and the Kentucky Arts Council.

 The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports RiverPark Center with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

OWENSBORO, August 19, 2011 – RiverPark Center announces today that it has met the Million Dollar Match challenge.

In less than six months, RiverPark Center donors contributed $1,111,877.82 in cash and pledges that fulfill RiverPark Center’s obligation under the challenge that the City of Owensboro and the Daviess County Fiscal Court initiated on March 8th to retire RiverPark Center’s remaining debt.

Furthermore, RiverPark Center is dedicating donations in excess of the Million Dollar Match toward a capital maintenance reserve fund that will be used solely on major capital maintenance, replacement and renovation of its facilities. Donors who contribute to the “Match Campaign” before August 31, 2011, will still be included on the permanent, giant Donor Wall located in RiverPark Center’s grand Lobby.

The Million Dollar Match kicked off in March when Daviess County Judge Executive Al Mattingly, Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne and RPC Board Chairman David Renshaw announced the “Million Dollar Match” agreement to retire the arts center’s remaining debt. Local government officials challenged RiverPark to raise one million dollars by August 31, 2011, and in return, Daviess County Fiscal Court will pay one million dollars and the City of Owensboro, which issued the bonds, will pay the remaining $2.6 million debt. The City has also granted RPC a 99-year management lease to continue programming diverse cultural events, focusing on arts in education.

In the campaign’s beginning, David Adkisson (former Owensboro Mayor and RPC’s Campaign Chairman) summed up the campaign this way, “Just as the regional community recognized the need for RiverPark Center more than twenty years ago, they have responded with strong support now.”

In addition to previous RiverPark Center donors, the Million Dollar Match garnered a whole host of new donors. Forty-six percent (46%) of people giving to the Match had previously not donated to RiverPark Center. “The Board, volunteers and staff have been truly humbled by the generosity of these donors – it is affirming and confirms that we are serving as the ‘living room’ for the community”, RPC Vice-Chair and Fundraising Chair Jeff Danhauer said, regarding the new donors to this campaign.

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RPC Board Chairman David Renshaw said, “RiverPark Center has served more than three million people through 13,000-plus events during the past 19 years. It has truly become a place where memories are made.” When Diane Willis was asked why she decided to participate in the campaign Ms. Willis said, “Being brand new to Owensboro, but a long-time supporter of the arts, when I received the information about retiring the debt of the River Park Center, I knew I had to do something. We are so fortunate to have a beautiful facility to house great concerts (including our own Owensboro Symphony), theatrical productions, and other venues. The short commute and affordable prices allows me to enjoy the fine arts here in my own town, something I had not previously been able to do in the towns in which I formerly lived. I am so happy to contribute to the River Park Center and seeing it continue to enrich our town and lives.”

Thanks A Million to all of those who have donated to this important campaign and please join us for our celebration of RiverPark Center’s first day debt free. The community is invited and encouraged to join us at RiverPark Center Thursday, Sept.1, at 12 O’ clock noon. A giant Million Dollar check will be presented to the City of Owensboro from the RiverPark Center as well as a ceremonial “burning of the mortage”, symbolizing the end of RPC’s 20 year debt burden. Lunch will be provided by Atmos Energy.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports RiverPark Center with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts

Former Owensboro Mayor Dave Adkisson Accepts Role as Honorary Campaign Chair of RiverPark Center’s Million Dollar Match Campaign

OWENSBORO, Ky.

Almost 30 years ago a small group of citizens had a dream. At the time that dream was drawn on the back of a paper napkin. It would depict what would become one of the region’s finest performing arts centers and would challenge boundaries in education, economic development, and entertainment. The Center would go on to gain national and international recognition in those realms. That dream would be named, RiverPark Center.

One of those founding “dreamers”, Dave Adkisson, has agreed to step up to help lead the charge to finally retire the facility’s debt.

Jeff Danhauer, RPC board Vice Chair said, “When thinking of a person to serve as Honorary Chair of the “Million Dollar Match” campaign, Dave Adkisson was a natural fit. He was one of the original founders of RPC and believes in all the ways it helps the community, from education to economic development. We are humbled and honored he has agreed to help lead this campaign to the finish line!”

Dave Adkisson has been strong advocate of RiverPark Center throughout the years and today RiverPark announces that Adkisson will help lead the charge as Honorary Campaign Chair of the Million Dollar Match campaign to take care of RiverPark’s debt once and for all.
Adkisson recently stated, “The RiverPark has been a tremendous success for Owensboro for almost 20 years. That’s a generation! And the RiverPark will be serving the Owensboro region for generations to come.

I witnessed the historic generosity of Owensboro citizens in the early 1990’s, when the community originally rallied behind a new arts center and raised more than $10 million in contributions. So I’m honored to help lead an effort to get the RiverPark Center poised for the next generation. Retiring the debt and letting the RiverPark be all it can be is an important gift we can give the next generation.”

Read more: Former Owensboro Mayor Dave Adkisson Accepts Role as Honorary Campaign Chair of RiverPark Center’s Million Dollar Match Campaign