Arts Center Chief Forced Out, Insider Says

The top staff executive of the Orange County Performing Arts Center was forced out of his post, a knowledgeable source in the arts community said Thursday.

Tom Tomlinson resigned abruptly earlier this week, with no explanation, as president of the county’s most prominent arts institution. Reached at his home Thursday, he declined comment.

Meanwhile, Eric Davis, an attorney specializing in employment law, said he has been retained by Tomlinson but declined further comment.

The source said that center Chairman Mark Chapin Johnson and a few powerful board members forced Tomlinson to leave.

The move apparently stemmed from clashes of both substance and personal style between Johnson and, among others, Henry T. Segerstrom, who donated the land for the center and is a powerful board member as vice chairman for endowment.

Segerstrom did not return phone calls Thursday.

Johnson said he “had an agreement with Tom Tomlinson not to discuss the specifics surrounding his resignation and . . . I don’t feel that it’s appropriate to publicly debate any personnel issues through the media.”

Discussing the complexity of replacing Tomlinson, however, Johnson said Wednesday that he and several colleagues on the board had been facing a difficult management problem “for a few months.”

The problem, Johnson acknowledged, was that anyone who takes the job would be asked to cede major programming authority. Judith O’Dea Morr, who was hired in March to help Tomlinson with programming operations and is replacing him on an interim basis, will continue as programming director.

“I’m not under any misimpression that finding the right person will be easy,” he said. “It will not.” He said the center will conduct a national search, which he expects to take “at least six months and probably more.”

Meanwhile, several members of the center’s 49-person board said they did not know of friction between Tomlinson and the directors and that they don’t know the reasons for his departure.

“I am not aware of any friction,” Richard G. Engel said. “I honestly don’t know why” Tomlinson left.

Another board member, arts philanthropist Arlene Cheng, said, “I was very surprised--shocked, really. It’s very unfortunate. I don’t know the current scenario. But our [regular board] meeting last week went very well. We were really doing well, and [Tomlinson] gave a bright report.”

Tomlinson’s resignation also surprised one of his longtime associates, who heads a national arts service organization in Washington.

“I’ve never seen Tom take any action harmful to the organizations that have employed him,” Suzie Farr, executive director of the American Assn. of Performing Arts Centers, said Thursday. Tomlinson is executive vice president of that organization. “For 20 years, I’ve known him to be extremely professional and ethical,” Farr said. “I don’t believe he would leave a job without giving notice.”