Ric Grenell plans to step down as president of the 54-year-old Kennedy Center on Monday—just as the United States’ premier performing arts venue finalizes preparations for a two-year shutdown for renovation.
He will be succeeded by Matt Floca—the vice president for facilities operations at the national cultural center, which was renamed the Trump Kennedy Center following a December vote by its board of trustees.
Grenell, who also serves as Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, will nonetheless maintain ties with the organization and continue working with it as an unpaid consultant.
The leadership change is expected to be announced Monday at a meeting of the Trump Kennedy Center’s board of directors at the White House, which President Trump is expected to attend.
According to sources, Trump holds a favorable view of Floca, who previously worked for the District of Columbia government as associate director for sustainability and energy.
The president—who often emphasizes his past as a New York real estate developer—has been regularly discussing potential changes to the complex with Floca, down to the color of the walls, the configuration of the seating, and the use of marble.
Grenell took charge of the historic cultural complex in February 2025 as part of a sweeping personnel shake-up initiated by Trump. Promising a “golden age” of American arts and culture, the president wrote at the time on Truth Social: “RIC, WELCOME TO SHOW BUSINESS!”
During Grenell’s tenure, the organization underwent significant changes, including the formation of a new board of directors oriented toward Trump allies. The president himself has shown a particular interest in the center—hosting the annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony there, as well as the FIFA World Cup draw in the marble-clad building on the banks of the Potomac River.
Representatives of the center say that after implementing cost-cutting measures—including large-scale layoffs—the organization is no longer covering staff salaries from debt reserves.
During Trump’s first presidential term, Grenell held several senior posts, including U.S. ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence.
His departure comes on the eve of a sweeping reconstruction of the complex. Last month Trump announced that the venue will close in July for two years for “construction, renovation and a complete rebuilding.” According to him, the result will be “a new and spectacular entertainment complex,” and the “grand reopening will surpass anything that has ever happened with facilities of this kind.”
The board of directors is expected to formally approve the closure at a meeting on Monday.
Congress has already approved funding for the reconstruction—$257 million was allocated last year as part of the law Trump described as a “big, beautiful bill.”
Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio)—who, like other lawmakers, sits on the center’s board by virtue of her office—has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the closure. According to legal analysts, her complaint faces significant procedural obstacles.
In parallel, Trump is launching a series of projects intended to leave his architectural imprint on the capital. Among them are the reconstruction of the Rose Garden, plans to build a ballroom at the White House, and the creation of a 250-foot “Arch of Independence” near the National Mall.