The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s new executive director, a former Public Broadcasting System executive, took the reins this week. James Morgese, 60, replaced former executive director Cheryl Temple to lead fundraising and orchestra awareness efforts.

“I saw the ad in the paper, of all things,” Morgese said. Before joining the orchestra, Morgese was president and general manager of Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver for 15 years. There, he raised funds and recruited volunteers for the $12 million organization. Morgese also founded a consulting firm before moving to Rotonda West with his wife Annette in 2010.

“I guess you can say that I failed at semiretirement and had a yearning to get back into the not-for-profit realm,” Morgese said in a press release.

Temple, who was executive director for a year after serving as director for two years, resigned in November. CSO treasurer Richard Condon on Tuesday said Temple left to investigate other opportunities. She could not be reached for comment.

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra has between 60 and 80 paid musicians, depending on the performance. Including volunteers, the organization is well over 100 strong, and Condon said it generates about $500,000 annually in ticket sales and donations. He said it sells out nearly every show in auditoriums that seat between 500 and 800 guests.

Morgese said ticket sales remained robust, even during the recession. When asked how many hours per week the executive director has to put in to get it all done, Condon chuckled.

“Too many, probably, if you asked them,” he said. He estimated it was a 40-hour week plus fundraisers and concerts.

Morgese said he was excited about the future of the orchestra, and that he had no intention of putting his hand in on the artistic side, leaving that to Maestro Francis T. Wada, who plans to retire after this season.

“He is the creative director, and I’m the suit,” Morgese said.

Morgese said Wada mentioned possible health issues to the orchestra earlier this year that could force the maestro to step down. For now, though, Morgese said the group still does not know the extent of Wada’s medical issues.

“What I’d like to do is convince him to do another year,” Morgese said.

Although the work can be demanding, Morgese said he’s glad to be back in the nonprofit realm.

“The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is an exciting cultural asset for Southwest Florida,” he continued. “I am pleased to be part of its future growth and development. It will be a new experience for me, but I bring to it decades of experience in fundraising and community development.”

Morgese was born in the Bronx, N.Y., and grew up in suburban New York in Cold Spring Harbor before earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Denver.

After college, he worked at the NBC Network in New York. After earning his master’s degree, he ventured into public television, with stints in Bowling Green, Ky.; Moscow, Idaho; and Gainesville, Fla., before moving to Denver in 1990.

Email: jwulf@sun-herald.com