Ellis announces retirement from Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville

Share
Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

This is an important announcement, as Diana Wortham Theatre changes and grows. Press release here:

As Board President of Diana Wortham Theatre, it is my pleasure to announce an upcoming leadership transition. After 20 years as Managing Director, John Ellis will retire in June 2017 and Rae Geoffrey, the theatre’s current Associate Director, has been named the organization’s new Managing Director effective July 1, 2017.

Under John’s leadership, the theatre has grown to be one the most active venues in all of Western North Carolina. He created the Mainstage Series of touring artists while also making the theatre a welcome home to many local arts groups. He has also developed a strong board of directors and a dedicated staff, making Diana Wortham Theatre a cornerstone of the cultural life in the area.

John shared, “With my upcoming retirement, the Board of Directors has planned a phased transition process to support our theatre’s growth. I look forward to working closely with Rae and also focusing on the upgrades to our theatre and development of additional venues.”

Image: Rae Geoffrey. Photo: Camilla Calnan PhotographyRae has a long background in theatre, community outreach, and arts management. She was hired in 2001 as the Director of Outreach, creating a successful education series serving 10,000 students each year, establishing the Y.E.S. (Youth Education Scholarship) Fund, and building a solid volunteer core. Rae was promoted to Associate Director in 2008 and in that role oversees staff management, organizational planning, and artistic programming. She has worked closely with John to lead the theatre through its “Vision for the Future” Project to create and implement an organizational vision and plan.

Rae’s leadership has been recognized by her peers and colleagues, who recently elected Rae as Board President of the North Carolina Presenters Consortium, a state-wide trade organization of presenting theatres across North Carolina and neighboring states, with more than 200 members including theatres, agents and managers.

John’s contribution to our organization has been invaluable and his leadership has made us what we are today, and we cannot thank him enough. We are very fortunate to have another great leader within our organization who can lead us forward for the next 20 years. Rae’s experience here at Diana Wortham Theatre over the past 15 years has prepared her to take the helm when John retires, and I can speak for the board when I say that we are all excited to have such a highly qualified, competent, and passionate new leader in 2017.

Warm regards,
Hardy Holland
President

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.