By james art The executive director of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will retire at the end of January, the arts council announced Wednesday.
Rebecca Jefferson Bender, the arts council’s chief of staff and chief operating officer, will step down after six years on the job.
She will retire six months later than originally planned. She stayed on as the arts council transitioned to a new president and CEO.
The arts council said in its news release that Bender played a key role during the pandemic, overseeing COVID relief dollars, securing Wage Protection Program loans and minimizing staff layoffs.
A chief financial officer is now being sought to fill Bender’s role.