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Ypsilanti Heritage Festival Director Resigns

Bob Eccles

When time for the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival rolls around again next summer Andrew Clock will not be at the helm as director.  Clock says festival's board president Wednesday night asked him to resign, and he agreed to step down.

 

Board president David Nickerson says it's been difficult for Clock to put the time and effort into the festival on an ongoing basis.

"And with some of the financial challenges that the festival was looking at, we decided it would be appropriate to kind of come up with a different operating structure, operating model," Nickerson says

Nickerson says Clock's duties will be shared by other festival volunteers going forward. 

Clock says Nickerson cited his contentious relationship with the city and it's leaders over fees and sponsorships in seeking his resignation.

Clock says stepping down is probably for the best.  He's been frustrated with a lack of support from the festival board and especially from the city.

"I've been doing special events and community organizing in the city for six or seven years now," Clock says, "and I've really seen some things that make me question the way business is done here.  To be sure, there are some people doing really great work in Ypsilanti, but there's also some decisions being made that just seem counter-productive to growth and economic development."

Clock says the request that he resign his position was a little unexpected, but not completely so. 

He says with the financial situation the Heritage Festival finds itself in, he wasn't sure how they were going to be able to continue to pay him. 

Clock earned an $18-thousand stipend this past summer.