CEO of Carmel Christkindlmarkt resigns as event continues to face scrutiny from City

CARMEL, Ind. - The President and CEO of Carmel Christkindlmarkt - Maria Adele Rosenfeld- has resigned.




A press release sent by Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. on Tuesday confirmed that Rosenfeld submitted her resignation. Rosenfeld's resignation will go into effect on Wednesday.




"It is impossible to put into words how much the last eight years have meant to me," Rosenfeld wrote in a prepared statement included in the press release. "I am so honored to have served the Carmel community as the founding CEO of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. I have worked alongside such talented coworkers, partners, sponsors, entertainers, vendors and volunteers. Our collective dedication to upholding the highest standards of cultural authenticity and event management resulted in a truly special, best-in-class event."




Per CCI's release, Rosenfeld helped Carmel Christkindlmarkt earn national recognition during her tenure as the organization's President and CEO. While Rosenfeld headed CCI, Carmel Christkindlmarkt was spotlighted by USA Today, Indy's Best Things Competition, the Indiana Tourism Association, Current in Carmel and National Geographic.




In 2024 alone, more than 10,000 people visited Carmel Christkindlmarkt daily. The event generated $9.6 million in sales and created $24.3 million in economic impact for Hamilton County.




"We are extremely grateful for Maria's service," Maddie Augustus, chair of the CCI Board, said via release. "From the very first market in 2017, she has been instrumental in growing our beloved event into the renowned holiday destination it is today. She is leaving a great mark on the annual Market, our organization and Carmel as a whole. We wish her the best in the next steps of her journey."




Rosenfeld's resignation comes as tensions between CCI and the City of Carmel continue to rise.




In October, Mayor Sue Finkam announced that City of Carmel was forming an advisory board to evaluate the City's relationships with nonprofit organizations like Christkindlmarkt.




In the past, the City of Carmel had not tried to recoup all the costs it incurred by assisting with the setup and operation of Christkindlmarkt. Soon after she was elected in November 2023, Finkam sought to change the status quo.




Ahead of Christkindlmarkt 2024, Finkam indicated that she aimed to help the City of Carmel recoup the $1.5 million it was projected to spend on the holiday market. Finkam also reported that the City of Carmel had spent $8.3 million on Christkindlmarkt since 2017, and she intimated that the money may be better spent elsewhere.




"The city has a lot of different pressing needs, especially in this climate right now where money is tight, property taxes are higher, expenses are higher, we want to put that to police, fire and infrastructure, whenever possible without harming the market," Finkam said in October.




FOX59/CBS4 first reported that Finkam was forming the advisory board on Oct. 3. A report FOX59/CBS4 published on Oct. 7 indicated three members of CCI's own board were either forced to leave or resigned.




Some of CCI's board members were offered positions of Finkam's advisory board. Former CCI board member Brenda Myers told FOX59/CBS4 she declined to join the mayor's board.




"We went to (a) meeting thinking we would be able to hammer out some of the issues and instead were told that we were resigned," Myers said in an interview with FOX59/CBS4. "We were offered positions on the advisory council, but I refused."




Myers also told FOX59/CBS4 that, before Finkam's advisory board was formed, CCI's board was working to make the market financially independent from the City to comply with a request from the mayor.




It is unclear if the City of Carmel was able to recoup the costs it incurred from last year's Christkindlmarkt as Finkam hoped. The exact role the City will play in future iterations of Christkindlmarkt is also currently unknown.




As for Rosenfeld's resignation, CCI announced Tuesday that its board has begun a search to find a new President and CEO of CCI.




"CCI remains committed to its mission to provide an authentic and immersive cultural experience that cultivates community pride, creates inspiring gathering spaces, and elevates the City of Carmel regionally, nationally and internationally," CCI officials wrote in their release.




More information on CCI is available here.




As of this article's publication, no additional information on Rosenfeld's departure had been made available.





via: https://fox59.com/news/ceo-of-carmel-christkindlmarkt-resigns-as-event-continues-to-face-scrutiny-from-city/