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Deborah F. Rutter, the third president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., has reportedly been fired from her position months ahead of schedule, as reported by The Washington Times. The terminations come on the heels of the board of trustees "unanimously" electing President Donald Trump as its chairman.
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, announced his election as the chairman of the board. In a separate post, he revealed Richard Grenell would serve as the Kennedy Center's interim executive director. During Trump's first term, Grenell was the ambassador to Germany and the acting director of national intelligence.
A week earlier, Trump refashioned the board, dismissing all appointees elected by former president Joe Biden. New board members include Usha Vance (Vice President's wife), Susie Wiles, Dan Scavino, Cheri Summerall, Sergio Gor, Emilia May Fanjul, and Dana Blumberg, among others.
In January, Rutter, who had served as Kennedy Center's president since 2014, initially announced stepping down from the role at the end of 2025. In a statement shared on the organization's website, she noted that the board had formed a committee to find her successor.
Under Rutter's lead, the Kennedy Center has grown its operational budget to $268 million
Deborah F. Rutter was born on September 30, 1965, in Pennsylvania to attorney and choral administrator Marshall Rutter and his first wife, Winifred Hitz. Per a 2013 Los Angeles Times profile on her, she moved to Los Angeles soon after. She learned piano and violin as a child and played in youth orchestras around the city.
Rutter earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, studying music and German. At the time, she was a part of a string quartet and chamber orchestra. Following her graduation, she took up her first arts executive position as the orchestra manager at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Per the outlet, while working at L.A. Phil (from 1978 to 1986), she obtained a master's in business administration from the University of Southern California.
According to Rutter's LinkedIn profile, she joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra as its Executive Director in 1986, holding the position until 1992. Over the next decade, she was the Executive Director of Seattle Symphony. She was then appointed as Chicago Symphony Orchestra's president in September 2003 (until June 2014).
In 2014, Rutter became the third president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She is also a board member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and Vital Voices.
According to Billboard, under Rutter's leadership, the Kennedy Center has grown its operational budget to $268 million and revenues to $125 million. She also guided more than 40 education initiatives, making the Kennedy Center America's largest provider of arts education.
Rutter describes herself as an amateur musician and an avid reader. She also enjoys gardening and continues to play the piano. Her LinkedIn profile notes she married university professor and trombonist Peter Ellefson and has a daughter, Gillian.
Since Deborah F. Rutter's termination, Shonda Rhimes resigned from the Kennedy Center Board. Further actress and director Issa Rae, in a February 13 Instagram story, canceled her sold-out An Evening with Issa Rae show scheduled for March 16. Rae's story stated:
"Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue."
Artistic advisor of Kennedy Center's famous National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Ben Folds, too, resigned shortly after Trump's announcement on Wednesday. Per an article on The Warp, Folds had served as the NSO advisor since 2017 and was the first to hold the title.
There have been no other updates at the time of this writing.
