28-Year DECC Employee Among Positions Eliminated Amid Financial Struggles

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 has learned that multiple job eliminations have begun at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), just one week since Executive Director Dan Hartman asked and received a $1 million emergency line of credit from the city council.

DECC Exec. Dir. Dan Hartman during an interview with FOX 21 Sept. 24

Hartman said at the time that the DECC’s reserves were too low because of aging infrastructure expenses and the increased cost of employees. Hartman said part-time employees were usually getting $10 an hour before the pandemic, but are now getting $14 to $18 an hour.

“I think the biggest thing is we were hoping to continue to using the model of the past for staffing here at the DECC, and we were hoping to make enough money to make it work out, we just couldn’t make enough new money quick enough,” Hartman told FOX 21 on Sunday, Sept. 24, the day before council’s vote on the credit line.

Fast-forward a week later, FOX 21 learned Wednesday of at least two employees that had their jobs eliminated. One has been a prominent face of the DECC for nearly three decades.  The other is an employee of less than a year that involved a newly created position.

Jeff Stark with his family

FOX 21 reached out to Hartman and the DECC’s director of communications, Lucie Amundsen, Wednesday evening for comment on the job eliminations.  Amundsen replied, “We’ll have something for you tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Jeff Stark, who just celebrated his 28-year work anniversary at the DECC on Monday, took to his social media Wednesday evening to address his job elimination. Stark started at the DECC in 1995 as an usher and ticket taker.  Most recently, he was the director of operations for the past three years. And before that, he was on the news a lot as Bayfront Park’s director for nearly a decade.

“This was an extremely difficult bit of news to take in and it upended our world. I know that it’s just a job, but it was a uniform I wore proudly for almost 3 decades. It’s felt like a part of my identity for so long that now I’ll have to navigate untangling the person from the role. I appreciate all of the people I’ve been able to work with over the years, the ever-changing events we got to be a part of creating, and the sense of community that goes along with making sure the show goes on.  My thoughts are with the co-workers and community partners that will have to pick up the tasks that I had in the air and to all of the people that made this job fun to do,” Stake posted on social media.

Tony Hart’s position eliminated less than a year on the job

While the DECC had not publicly said how many positions have been eliminated as of Wednesday, FOX 21 confirmed a second position eliminated was an Event Programmer, which was not even a year old.  Longtime Twin Ports radio host Tony Hart was hired for the position of Event Programmer in November of 2022.  He, too, was notified Tuesday that the position was eliminated.

“Less than a year ago I started what I thought was my dream job, I left a 30-year career to pursue it and give 100% to creating great events for the community. What is it they say about things that are too good to be true? Yesterday my position at the DECC was eliminated. I’m thankful for the opportunity and the friendships I made. I feel bad for the people that remain to pick up other roles and still do the work they had before. Best of luck,” Hart said in a statement to FOX 21 Wednesday.

Hartman has been executive director of the DECC for two years now. He previously was the executive director of the Glensheen Mansion and a former Duluth city councilor.

Longtime Duluth event planner Tracy Lundeen

A plan to cut or eliminate positions was never mentioned to the city council just one week ago when Hartman asked for the $1 million line of credit, other than saying all options were on the table.

Meanwhile, longtime Duluth event promoter Tracy Lundeen released a statement on his social media late Wednesday after learning the news about the DECC’s latest struggles:

“I was shocked to hear this news. A huge mistake by the DECC in my opinion. Jeff Stark is a class act and we will, as will many others who pay rent to host events at the DECC, miss him! Jeff was always the ultimate professional and few, if any, know the building and operations of the DECC like him . As a former DECC Board member and operator of events at the DECC the past 40 years I’m scratching my head.”