The Kennedy Center will move forward with layoffs “in the days and weeks ahead,” Executive Director Matt Floca said in an email to staff members Wednesday night.
The internal announcement comes as the center plans to close for two years of renovations starting in July.
“We will begin executing the difficult staffing decisions that support the broader operational changes required to meet the realities of this time at the Center,” Floca, who took the helm of the Kennedy Center this month, wrote in the email obtained by NBC News.
“Each of you has contributed to the legacy of this institution, and these decisions have not been made lightly. It is my sincere intention that each personnel action be carried out with consideration and care,” he added.
Floca managed facilities and operations at the center until earlier this month, when the Kennedy Center board, handpicked by President Donald Trump, moved him into the position previously held by Trump ally Ric Grenell.
Floca’s email to staff members indicated that next steps for affected employees would be shared with them in the “coming days.” It’s unclear how many jobs will be affected; the Kennedy Center has employed more than 2,000 people in recent years.
The Washington Post reported the layoffs earlier Thursday.
The Kennedy Center confirmed the layoffs in a statement, saying, “Staffing decisions will support the broader move toward a successful closure for renovations.”
Trump fired the center’s board and named himself chairman in February 2025. Near the end of last year, the board voted to add his name to the center, which led numerous artists to cancel their performances.
Last week, the board voted unanimously to shutter the Kennedy Center for two years for renovations. Two federal lawsuits are trying to stop the closure planned for July 5.