After an impressive five-year stint as the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Manager—a job that all previous Gathering managers will tell you is a mettle tester—our dear friend Brad McMullen will depart Elko soon for a role with the Nevada Arts Council in Las Vegas as the Folklife Specialist (our state folklorist).
It’s always difficult to say goodbye, but we promise we’re not crying, at least not too much. We’re going to miss his thoughtful insights, steadfast even temperament, infectious laughter, and oh-so-handy tech skills. But no folklorist ever really leaves the Western Folklife Center—especially when there’s always the strong pull of a certain January event to lure them back. We know he’ll return to our corner of Nevada again soon to pitch in as a show host and offer his clever problem-solving skills wherever we might need them during the 39th Gathering.
We will be forever grateful for the impact Brad had on our flagship event and local programming like Let’s Dance and Jam On!, and also for the fearless role he played in our media initiatives (like Ask a Cowboy Poet, or that time during the pandemic when we produced a 10-hour livestream event despite never having done anything like that before…whew, that was crazy!). He set a high standard for all of us with the cheerful way he approached everything he did here, and we hope you’ll join us in wishing him well in his new position.
As a special treat, we gathered these pics of Brad on the job to celebrate five glorious and meaningful years with the WFC!
Brad Gets the Gate
Brad Stands on Chairs
Brad Solves Problems
Brad Works Behind the Scenes
Brad Keeps His Cool
Cheers to You, Brad!
Photos by Katie Aiken, Meg Glaser, Cleo Hansen, Jessica Brandi Lifland, Marianne Molland, and Kristin Windbigler.
