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Orpheum President's Last Day on the Job
The president of the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg won't be around much longer.

Kate Francis' last day on the job is Friday. She announced her resignation December first and will be leaving to work with the Jazz Saint Louis organization in her native area.

Francis was recognized by the City this week with a Mayor's Appreciation Award, and said she hopes she has left the theatre in a better place than she found it.

"The Orpheum has been a tremendous architectural and cultural asset to our community," Francis said. "But now hopefully we've also illustrated that this beautiful and wonderful building is not just a money pit, but a viable economic engine in our downtown community."

The theatre has grown both attendance and revenue in recent years, despite some constant criticism that the theatre is, in the words of some, dying.

Francis gives the credit to the attendance and revenue increases to the Knox County Civic Center Authority Board, while that board gives the praise back to her.

The theatre is in the early stages of a proposed half-million dollars in renovations, starting with upgrades to the theatre's stage and house lights.
01 27 12 by Newsroom
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