Apkon to Step Down as Jacob Burns Executive Director
Stephen Apkon, founder and executive director of the Jacob Burns Film Center, announced on Monday that he will be stepping down from his position.
Apkon will head a newly-created nonprofit media production company, which will be not be affiliated with the film center. However, the two organizations plan to collaborate on projects of interest to both.
The first project will be “Pondemonium,” a film by Andy Young and Susan Todd that explores the natural world in the Hudson Valley.
“My involvement in the film center has been one of the great gifts of my life,” Apkon said. “I am extremely proud of the strong organization we’ve built and of the vibrant community the Jacob Burns Film Center has fostered. With its extraordinary team of staff and board leadership, I am confident the Burns will continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.”
The Burns’ Board of Directors has retained the firm of Phillips Oppenheim to conduct a search for a new executive director. Apkon, who has been the Burns’ executive director since the film center opened in 2001, will remain in his position until a successor is chosen and will continue to serve on its board of directors. No timetable has been set to hire the next director.
“Thanks to Steve’s leadership, the Burns has grown into a powerful cultural and educational institution with an international reputation,” said film center Board Chairman David Swope. “The success of the Jacob Burns Film Center and the creation of the Media Arts Lab have attracted numerous film and media production possibilities, which fall outside the capacity of the organization. We look forward to Steve’s new production venture developing innovative media projects and ultimately bringing them to our theaters and classrooms.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
