Christkindlmarkt CEO resigns, former board chair sues Carmel mayor for defamation
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The CEO of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt has resigned and the former chair of the board that operates the market has sued the city and its mayor for defamation. The moves come after months of tension between market leadership and city officials who have raised concerns about the nonprofit’s finances.
Maria Adele Rosenfeld, who led the Carmel Christkindlmarkt since its inception in 2017, will step away from the organization effective Wednesday, according to an announcement made late Tuesday afternoon.
“It is impossible to put into words how much the last eight years have meant to me,” Rosenfeld said in written remarks. “I am so honored to have served the Carmel community as the founding CEO of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. I have worked alongside such talented coworkers, partners, sponsors, entertainers, vendors and volunteers. Our collective dedication to upholding the highest standards of cultural authenticity and event management resulted in a truly special, best-in-class event.”
During Rosenfeld’s tenure, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt grew into a nationally recognized holiday festival that has received awards from USA Today’s 10Best contest. The market was featured in National Geographic in 2023 and 2024.
The market and its financial ties to the city are currently under review by a committee helmed by Mayor Sue Finkam, who has publicly questioned market leaders’ transparency. Since its inception, the city has provided millions of dollars in support for the market’s logistics.
Two other members of Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc.’s leadership team—Vice President of Cultural Programs Sandra Richardson and Vice President of Communications Hannah Kiefer—have also resigned from their positions.
Additionally, former Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. Board Chair Susan McDermott filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Finkam and the city of Carmel. The lawsuit claims that Finkam defamed McDermott last fall in comments that the mayor made at two Carmel City Council meetings and to members of the media alleging that McDermott delayed and withheld financial documents from the city.
McDermott is seeking a jury trial and for Finkam and Carmel to be held liable for damage to her professional reputation, according to court documents.
McDermott said in an email to IBJ that she hopes the lawsuit “will finally prompt the disclosure of the truth regarding the City’s actions and false statements.”
“I served my detailed Tort Claim Notice on the City and Mayor in January seeking to resolve this matter. They chose not to respond,” McDermott wrote. “They have spread misinformation relating to me, the Christkindlmarkt, my fellow board members and the market’s dedicated and passionate leadership. Our elected officials need to be truthful in their statements and motivations, and need to be called out when their false statements are aimed at and harm citizens.”
Samantha Karn, corporation counsel for the city of Carmel, told IBJ in an email that the city would not comment on pending litigation.
Last October, Finkam announced changes to the organizational structure of Carmel Christkindmarkt Inc., the nonprofit that operates the market, when she removed two board members, Brenda Myers and Sven Schumacher. McDermott also resigned. Finkam appointed McDermott and Myers to the board in January 2024, while Schumacher had served on the board since 2019. Finkam took office in January 2024.
Carmel Christkindlmarkt, the brainchild of former Mayor Jim Brainard, has become a tradition, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Carter Green, which includes public ice skating. The city contends the Carmel Christkindlmarkt was established as a city-owned event that is operated by the three-member board of Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc., a nonprofit that is considered a subsidiary of the city.
Since 2017, Carmel has contributed $8.5 million to the market. Since she took office, Finkam has pushed to make the market less financially reliant on the city. The city contributed about $1.06 million to the market last year, and Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. has reimbursed about $284,000, which contributed to the market reporting a $450,000 deficit for the year. It was the first time that the market operated at a loss.
Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. is one of four nonprofit organizations with ties to the city that the Carmel Affiliate Review Committee is studying. The other organizations are Promote Carmel Inc., the Carmel Midtown Community Development Corp. and the Carmel City Center Community Development Corp.
The purpose of the six-member committee is to “evaluate the purpose, governance and tax structure and related fiscal and risk aspects of all nonprofit corporations and community development corporations that are affiliates of the City of Carmel.”
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. board of directors said in a written statement Tuesday that its members will determine next steps and begin the search for its next CEO.