For as long as the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts has been the premier venue in Suffolk for stage shows, musical productions, gallery exhibits, classes, events and more, Jackie Cherry has been there.

She started 12 years ago as the director of corporate sponsorships and special events, just as the center was opening in its reinvented state, having completed a successful transformation from the former Suffolk High School building.

It was a transition for Cherry, as well. She had spent 20 years in the telecom industry, and much of that time she was making a very long commute — from Chuckatuck to New York and New Jersey and back once a week.

She worked under a handful of other executive directors before becoming the executive director herself in 2011. The center has continued to transform with her at the helm, with a greater focus on community theater that allows folks from all walks of life to participate. She also has made a point of conducting frequent surveys and actually implementing the results into the next season’s schedule, whether it be different types of shows or which artists to feature in the galleries or what kinds of classes to offer, ranging from yoga to pottery to healthy cooking.

In fact, the advice she offered for her successor during a recent interview with a News-Herald reporter was simply that: “Listen to the community and see what they want and desire,” she said.

Board of Directors President McLemore Birdsong Jr. stated in a press release last week, “Under her leadership, the Center has become the focal point of arts and entertainment for the City of Suffolk and Western Tidewater.”

We couldn’t agree more.

We wish Cherry an enjoyable and well deserved retirement and sincerely hope that, as difficult as it may be, the person who is selected to take her place has the same energy and zeal for the arts that she has — and listens to the community.