The Honolulu Symphony has named a new executive director: Tom Gulick, 53, who most recently served two years as executive director of the Orange County, Calif.-based Ballet Pacifica.

"The first order of business is dealing with the current cash and budget situation, both to finish out this year and to prepare to have the money in place to get through next year," said Gulick from his office at the symphony's Dole Cannery headquarters yesterday. "We've identified a need beyond what we're seeing currently in ticket revenues and normal donations and contributions. ... It's a critical need."

Gulick arrived in Honolulu to begin his tenure this week.

His hiring ends a yearlong search for a successor to former President Stephen Bloom, who resigned in May 2005.

Gideon Toeplitz, on loan from the Arts Consulting Group, had been contracted to guide the symphony. He served with the title of interim president from June 2005 through March. Toeplitz's departure left the organization without a director for a short period.

Gulick's experience in marketing and development in the performing arts spans more than 25 years. His resume includes positions as executive director of marketing and development for the San Francisco Opera, vice president of marketing for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and director of marketing for the Indianapolis and Oregon symphony orchestras.

The new executive director arrives at a time of renewed financial hope for the cash-strapped Honolulu Symphony. The state Legislature and Gov. Linda Lingle last month appropriated $4 million to the symphony's permanent endowment and $150,000 to support its music education programs — an important step in ensuring the 106-year-old orchestra's long-term survival. The symphony will still have to raise matching funds as a requirement of the allocation.

Power struggles within the symphony's top ranks last year, which resulted in Bloom's exit and the resignations of several symphony board members (including Honolulu Advertiser President Mike Fisch), have quieted. The symphony has a newly appointed board chairman, retired Servco Pacific Inc. executive vice president Curtis Lee, and has recruited 13 new board members this year.

And though attendance was down 10 percent this season from last, subscription tickets are selling well for the 2006-07 season, according to Kristin Jackson, vice president of marketing fundraising — the symphony has tripled new subscribers for the coming season.

Jackson said fundraising is also ahead of its goals, but the symphony declined to provide figures.

NEGOTIATIONS AHEAD

Still, Gulick will have to immediately address lingering symphony concerns that include negotiating musician, management and staff pay raises — their first since taking a 20 percent pay cut and reduction in benefits in 2003 — and helping the orchestra's search for a replacement for long-departed music director/ maestro Samuel Wong.

Taking on both issues, said Gulick, will be among his priorities, in addition to stabilizing the symphony's finances.

Gulick praised the state's $4 million appropriation as a strong statement that will resonate with supporters.

"But in the end, we need immediate operating support now, too," said Gulick. "Our sales look very strong going into next season. ... But we do have some very acute financial needs coming into next season."

Gulick has told the board that the symphony "has strong financial issues, maybe even leaning ... toward severe, but not dire." Still, he believes that the enthusiasm of the board's new membership and plans to aggressively tap into the community's long history of support for its symphony orchestra will help it succeed. Gulick said he, board chairman Lee and other board members would be out in the community immediately, talking to potential donors and supporters.

'A GOOD PLAN'

Longer term, Gulick said that he intends to make sure the symphony has the beginnings of a more efficient operating budget and business model in place by its 2007-08 season.

"I have a pretty good handle on what the (symphony's) needs are going to be over the next two to five years," said Gulick. "(The symphony) did a long-range plan in 2001 that was a good plan. They just didn't activate a lot of it."

With a laugh, he said: "We don't need an extended planning cycle. We simply need to roll up our sleeves and get to work on the fundamentals."

Gulick said the challenges ahead excite him.

"I like to work with organizations that are going through a great deal of change ...," said Gulick. "I've done a lot of work in branding and repositioning, and that's the situation we have here. ...

"This is a company that's got a long tradition and fabulous musicians. But it's also a company that is at a size where it needs some stability (and) some business structure put in place. And that's what I specialize in."

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.