The Southeastern Manitoba Festival (SEMF) is looking for a new president.

Current president Candace Hamm has been the president of the festival for the past four years. She says she's stepping down effective in May and is looking to find an interested party soon in order to train them and have them ready for the responsibility come September.

Hamm says the duties of the president include scheduling, making the agenda and chairing five annual meetings, as well as making sure everything goes smoothly during the festival, helping out where needed.

"We're looking for someone who is passionate about the arts and is passionate about providing performance opportunities for the arts," notes Hamm. "But also someone who wants to keep working to provide the kind of welcoming comradery that we see at the festival year after year. So, that's what we're hoping for; we're hoping to find someone who is willing to take the festival on and run with it, continuing the great things that we see happening."

Hamm says the reality of the situation is if they don't find someone to replace her the festival will likely fold, and that is her biggest worry in her decision to step down from the position. She adds she's sad to leave but feels this is the best option for her right now as private lessons have taken over much of her available time.

She says interested parties may contact her through the SEMF Website.