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Tuuk named President and CEO Grand Rapids Symphony

Mary Tuuk, President and CEO Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra
Grand Rapids Symphony

The Grand Rapids Symphony has named its new President and CEO. WGVU talks with Mary Tuuk.

This summer, when Grand Rapids Symphony President Peter Perez announced he was stepping down, a search committee was formed and chaired by symphony member Mary Tuuk. But the committee decided to move in a different direction. It recruited Tuuk as a candidate for the position.

“Since I was chairing the committee I obviously had to remove myself from that role and discussions continued and have resulted in where we are today.”

It’s an unusual story but one that Tuuk says, “stranger things have happened.” What is Tuuk’s vision moving forward?

“My vision for the future relates to a lot of possibility thinking and being able to envision those dynamic possibilities I think is very central to the role but it’s a role that works very much in partnership with our music director and all of our other key stakeholders.”

Tuuk has been a member of the symphony for a number of years performing in its chorus. She plays piano, organ and violin. She’s also Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President of Properties and Real Estate with Meijer.

“Ultimately, I thought long and hard about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to convert a lifelong passion for music into a final career chapter. And this was the difference. I decided to follow my heart and what a tremendous, tremendous opportunity to be able to convert that passion into a final career.”

Tuuk will officially assume the role of symphony President and CEO in early 2019.

Patrick Center, WGVU News.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.