Capitol Civic Center Executive Director, Matt Schliesman, will be retiring in August.
The Wisconsin Native came to Manitowoc 10-years ago after living in California for 30-years. He recalled being interviewed multiple times over the phone, and eventually flew out. Then he, Schliesman’s own words, “walked into that magnificent old theater, and I was smitten.”
Schliesman quipped, ”the rest is kinda history.”
He went on to say “I am very proud of what we have done with the building. The building was the first thing that made me want to come here. We have completed two major renovations, and made the theater much more user friendly, and customer service oriented, and really ready not just for audiences today, but for the next few decades.”
To do the upgrades they had to raise a lot of money and they were successful, he says, because of a supportive board, staff and contractors. Longtime board member Chris Kornely said “That is a tough part of that job, you work for a board of directors.” She then thanked Schliesman for all the work he has done over the years to make the “Jewel of the Lakeshore” even better. “You will be missed,” she told Schliesman.
Schliesman plans to remain in his newly-adopted hometown. And, as Kornely says after the Capitol has been idled by COVID-19 since March, “the lights will be back on soon.”
