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Interview with Edward Villella (by Marina Harss)


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That book *How to Win Friends and Influence People* (I might have the title wrong it has been so long since I read it) said that we do everything that we do in life to gain a feeling of importance or to get sex. And often the two things are intertwined. Make someone feel unimportant and that person never forgets it. For example, notice how many people will not correct anyone's grammatical errors EXCEPT their name. I think the book said that our names are the most beautiful sound in the world to us because when we hear it, it means at that moment someone wants us, is calling us, etc.

I am pretty sure that no matter what reasons the board puts in writing about why he was let go, Villella feels like the bottom line was: "You are unimportant to us! Get out and goodbye!" even if they swear on their mother's grave this is not what they meant.

Donors also have to be made to feel important. Based on the reports in the media of his battles with his board, it sounds like Edward Villella didn't make them feel important enough. It is important to know when to leave the stage of every career, not just on stage dancing. Maybe Mr Villella should have agreed to set up a succession plan and brought in an Associate AD with a 5 year plan for promotion.

Ah well, what is done, 'tis done.

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Donors also have to be made to feel important. Based on the reports in the media of his battles with his board, it sounds like Edward Villella didn't make them feel important enough. It is important to know when to leave the stage of every career, not just on stage dancing. Maybe Mr Villella should have agreed to set up a succession plan and brought in an Associate AD with a 5 year plan for promotion.

Ah well, what is done, 'tis done.

True. The news reports did say some board members felt slighted by him.

I am sure mistakes were made on all sides.

I had the impression from the newspapers at the time that he had a sort of unofficial successor namely Jennifer Kronenberg....and she was one of the people being considered. But I do think it is was unofficial and he had planned to carry on indefinitely until he got tired of it. So I guess she wasn't a true official successor and it wasn't a true plan.

But as you say it is all done now.

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