The new Executive Director of the Northfield Arts Guild, Michael Fallon, pictured here (by Griff Wigley) at left with Arts Guild Board Member Steve Wilmot, was the guest on this week’s edition of Locally Grown.

I met Michael at the Frebruary Downtown Forum. Steve introduced him to me, but I only managed to pick up two or three sentences of background information in the brief exchange. When I heard more in the broadcast session, I was really impressed.

Not to put too much pressure on a guy who has only been on the job for a couple of weeks, but I think Michael’s experiences offer tremendous potential for Northfield, not just for the development of the art scene but for overall economic vitality.

What was of particular interest to me was what I’m calling the Ketchup Legacy. While Michael was earning his Masters at Carnegie-Mellon, he worked at the Heinz Foundation on, get this, revitalizing Downtown Pitsburgh through the Arts.

Michael, welcome to Northfield. I’m envisioning a positive and productive partnership between you and me…