By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Kim Brandt, who breathed life into an idea for a downtown cultural arts center in Decatur, is stepping down as executive director of The HIVE.
It was revealed by Community Coordinator Jamie Gephart at Tuesday night’s city council meeting that Brandt’s last day in the post will be July 22.

Gephart was given permission by council to begin the process of hiring a new director for the center on Second St. in the midst of downtown.
“The HIVE is in a good place for someone new to come in and take over,” Brandt told WZBD.com. “Sales (of art work) continue to increase as more people learn about the HIVE and find the doors open.”

“The HIVE really has potential to be the heart of the city.”
Seeking more free time is a major reason she is departing.
“Yes, I am ready for more free time and possibly to see what I can create next,” Brandt said.
Brandt took the HIVE (Harness, Innovate, Visualize, Energize) post in May of 2022. She was the third person to head the center, the first two having moved on after relatively short stays for a better situation.
A native of Decatur, Brandt graduated from Bellmont with a major in art and business, then attended college in Milwaukee.
She has been a member of two school boards, a 911 coordinator, advertising salesperson for a newspaper, and at one time operated her own business.
In November of 2021, Kim retired from her post as 911 coordinator for Van Wert County in Ohio.