WASHINGTON (7News) — Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s initial pick to lead the Kennedy Center, will no longer serve in that role after the president announced his replacement on Friday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the center’s vice president of facility operations, Matt Floca, will fill the role “subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.”
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Grenell’s departure follows numerous departures, layoffs, and performance cancellations at the federally owned venue. Grennell, in part, was part of the process to rename the center to include Trump’s name in late 2025.
It’s not immediately clear if Grenell resigned or was fired by the administration. According to the Associated Press, a vote to confirm Floca could take place as early as Monday.
“Matt has helped us achieve tremendous progress in bringing the Center to the highest level of Excellence,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done.”
Grenell served primarily as a foreign envoy for the Trump administration in his second term, but was also appointed by the Kennedy Center’s board of directors to serve as president.
Floca and his background in construction management will play a role in the Center’s upcoming renovations. Officials said the Center will need to close starting after July 4th to complete two years of work, despite some concerns from the Kennedy Center union, which said in February that the closure would be harmful to its workers.
That closure is still facing legal challenges, according to reporting by our news partners at WTOP News.
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