As of Aug. 6, Rusty Poehner will be relieved of her duties as program coordinator for The Maintenance Shop, a job she has held for the past eight years.

Lisa Kratz, manager of programs for the Memorial Union, said that the change is a result of a larger plan for restructuring.

“We’re interested in including graduate student assistants in the programming department,” Kratz said. “We want to incorporate experience for people interested in the student activities field.”

Poehner, who has a background in theater and the music business, said that as a result of the restructuring she is no longer qualified for her job.

“They basically rewrote my job description so instead of professional experience in entertainment they want someone doing course work towards a master’s in student affairs,” Poehner said.

Poehner said she suspects that outside factors influenced the timing of the changes.

“It’s a convenient moment to get me out,” Poehner said. “It seemed providential because of [arts programming adviser] Leslie Melvin leaving.”

Taking over Poehner’s duties will be Eric Yarwood, whose new title will be assistant program manager for the Memorial Union. Yarwood has previously been a program advisor for the Union and will be working on a graduate degree in the fall.

Yarwood said that the changes have been in the works for some time.

“We’ve been talking about it for quite a while, and I officially started the duties in July,” Yarwood said. “We’re kind of redoing the office as far as a structure base. I’m just kind of rolling with the changes.”

Kratz said recent changes have affected more people than just Poehner.

“My job has changed, Eric [Yarwood’s] has changed, it wasn’t really just [Poehner’s] that changed,” she said.

Poehner said that someone without professional experience will encounter many difficulties in booking entertainment.

“I think they’ll get screwed on pricing, partly because I’ve been here so long, and I know what arguments to make,” Poehner said. “They’ll put out more money and get less returns. I give the place two years on the outside.”

On the other hand, Kratz said that she is not concerned about Yarwood being qualified for the job.

“I have every confidence in Eric being able to build on his experience in student affairs and student activities, as well as a lot of things having to do with theater and music,” Kratz said. “With his background, he’ll be able to step in and do a good job.

“We are all very proud of the live music we have had at the M-Shop, and we will continue to pursue live music as we have been,” Poehner said.

Some people, however, are concerned that without Poehner, the M-Shop will no longer be able to bring in the caliber of artists it has in the past.

Tyler Uetz, senior in religious studies, was the Maintenance Shop director last year and worked closely with Poehner booking entertainment.

Uetz said that Poehner brought certain qualities to the job that no one else will be able to match.

“She had a lot of experience working with music,” Uetz said. “She has a theater degree from Drake. She knew how to work with bands’ agents because she was a band’s agent.

“Most artists were taking a pay cut to play here, but they did it because Rusty treated them so well, and she trained her staff to do the same,” Uetz said. “She knew that this is what the artist’s life was, and this is what their fulfillment was.

“TS Monk told me that no matter how much money he would ever make, he’d never stop playing the M-Shop because they were the nicest people in the world,” Uetz said.

Uetz said that after what Poehner has done for the M-Shop, he is upset that she has to leave under these conditions.

“It’s a terrible way to treat a woman such as Rusty,” Uetz said.