Karen Prasser Resigns As Executive Director of Solon Center For the Arts

UPDATED AT 3:35 P.M. THURSDAY:

has resigned as executive director of the .

The Solon Human Resources Department confirmed that Prasser resigned on Sept. 6 via resignation letter.

The letter, obtained by Solon Patch, does not indicate why Prasser resigned. It simply is a one-sentence announcement of her resignation.

City Council's Vice Mayor Ed Kraus said he doesn't generally comment on personnel matters.

"People leave, people resign for a whole host of reasons that I can't speculate on," he said. "She may have felt that she was ready to move on."

Kraus said the staff at the SCA, with help from the Recreation Department, are making sure the center's various programs are operating effectively.

"The center is bigger than the director," he said. "The programs are running. There's going to be people there on an interim basis no make sure everything is running and moving forward."

But eventually, a new director will be needed.

"You don't want to rush into it," Kraus said. "You want to find the right person."

Prasser, the executive director of the since 2003, she's has helped bring the arts to higher prominence in Solon.

Under Prasser, the SCA has pursued grant funds to bring high-quality theater and opera productions to the arts center and began new events such as this summer's .

During an interview with Solon Patch earlier this year, Prasser said she is proud that the SCA was included as one of the reasons why Solon was .

She also talked about the importance of arts education, and how proud she was that Solon has embraced that.

"When I see the children at SCA every day, I am grateful for their parents’ dedication and commitment to their children’s arts education," Prasser said. "Not every child grows up to be a Picasso, Baryshnikov, Rubenstein or Kathryn Hepburn! But having the arts as part of a child’s life adds civility and social skills that make them learn better in non-arts disciplines and lead to better workplace skills later in life."

Before coming to Solon, Prasser was directed the Children's Museum of Cleveland.

Solon Patch will have more on this story.