Live Arts Toledo Staff

Executive Office      
Zak Vassar President & CEO    
Vanessa Gardner Vice President & General Manager 419.418.0053 Email
Tara Lavertue Executive Assistant 419.418.0031 Email
       
Artistic Administration      
Alain Trudel Music Director, Toledo Symphony; Artistic Director, Toledo Jazz Orchestra    
Eric Otto Artistic Director and Head of Curriculum, Toledo Ballet    
Merwin Siu* Artistic Administrator 419.418.0023 Email
Natalie Conklin Director of Artistic Operations  419.418.0014 Email
       
Development      
Brett Loney Vice President of Development 419.418.0056 Email
Mari Davies Director of Institutional Giving 419.418.0055 Email
Jeniece Corwin Development Operations Manager 419.418.0021  Email
Karly DeGroot Director of Individual Giving 419.418.0028 Email
       
Education      
Sarah Schaefer Director of Education 419.418.0057 Email
Ellie Lee Director of Community Engagement 419.418.0037 Email
Emmy Adkins Education Operations Manager 419.246.8000 x 132 Email
Emily Dickens Education Enrollment Manager 419.418.0022 Email
Bridget Aldridge Education Administrative Assistant 419.471.0049 Email
Mikayla Farmer Education Administrative Assistant 419.471.0049 Email
Sophia Singleton Education Administrative Assistant 419.471.0049 Email
       
Finance      
Jessica Whittaker Vice President of Finance 419.418.0035 Email
Kelly Hill-Kretzer Finance Assistant  419.418.0036  Email
       
Marketing, Communications,
& Sales
     
Michael Frisco Director of Marketing (Contract)   Email
Emily McCready Marketing Manager 419.418.0027 Email
Jessica Fisher Education Marketing Coordinator   Email
Kalindi Bellach Box Office Manager & Program Annotator 419.246.8000  
Derek Emch Box Office Associate 419.246.8000 Email
Jody Strong Group Sales Associate 419.246.8000 Email
       
Production & Operations      
Cheryl Trace* Personnel Manager 419.460.4679 Email
Nathan Bersee Director of Concert Operations 419.418.0051 Email
Ernie Shiffler Facilities Manager    
Raymond Clark Principal Librarian 419.418.0029 Email
Aaron Keaster* Assistant Librarian 419.418.0052 Email
Allie Swarens Assistant Music Librarian   Email
Angela Schieber Toledo Symphony Stage Manager    
*TSO Musician      

Live Arts Toledo Board of Trustees

Officers Professional Affiliation
Marna Ramnath, Board Chair Arts Advocate
Richard A. Karcher, Vice Chair Attorney at Law
Steven M. Cavanaugh, Past Chair Founder & Managing Partner, Bay Cliff Partners
Jennifer Coy, Treasurer Key Private Bank Team Lead, Sr. Portfolio Manager, KeyBank
Tim Van Tuinen, Secretary MacMillan, Sobanski and Todd, LLC
Zak Vassar President & CEO, Live Arts Toledo
   
Trustees Professional Affiliation
James Adams JE Adams Consulting LLC4
Asha Barnes  Board of Lucas County Commissioners
Craig Barrow Performance Execution Group
Cynthia Benson Vice President, Total Rewards, Owens Corning
Joel Beren Community Leader, Philanthropist, Retired Entrepreneur
Lauren Graham Bourell DDS MD
Patrick Bowe President and CEO, The Andersons
John H. Burson Estate Planning and Tax Partner, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
Alex Catchings AU-1 Blockchain Consultants
Samuel Chang President & Co-Founder, Midstory
Rob Cintron Swanton and Maumee Schools (Retired)
Susan L. Conda Community Volunteer
Josh Cooper CEO, Whitelabel Collaborative
Cheri Crane Board of Lucas County Commissioners
Kathleen Davis Social Security Administration
Gretchen DeBacker  Attorney at Law
Melissa Freeman CFO, AntennaGear
Renee Goubeaux Principal, The Trust Company Family Offices
Melissa Gregory University of Toledo
Leena Hammuda MSN, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, Mercy Health
Andrea Hoffman Toledo Ballet Guild
Kristin Hunt Plante Moran
Shelli Jacobs  
Joel Jerger EVP, Premier Bank
Justin T. Kelley Rossford Schools
Francine Lawrence Toledo, Ohio, & American Federation of Teachers (Retired)
William B. Mathis Dean, College of Musical Arts, Bowling Green State University
Jeffrey Maxie Music and Creative Director
Michael McCullough Senior Vice President & Portfolio Manager, UBS Financial Services
Chris Murphy Miller Diversified
Adam Nightingale  Eastman & Smith Ltd.
Teanya Norwood-Ekwenna RN, ProMedica
Eric Otto  Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum, Toledo Ballet
Susan Palmer Arts Advocate/Community Leader
Matt Paskiet Firenation, Ltd.
JoAnn Phipps Toledo Symphony League
John Reynolds  
Randy Richie   
Faye Rochon Huntington Bank
Joseph Sferra President, Chief Medical Officer, Surgical Services, ProMedica
Barry Shaner Directions Credit Union
Mo Sheahan Owner and Instructor, Pure Barre
Saga Shoffner Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach
Rebecca E. Shope Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Christine Slade Toledo Ballet Guild
Clarence R. Smith, Jr. CEO & Consultant, C R Smith & Associates
Sara Smith Director of Institutional Advancement, National Museum of the Great Lakes
Pam Bard Steel Bard Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Charles Stocking Co-CEO, Principle Business Enterprises, Inc.
Olivia K. Summons Director of Public Affairs (Retired), Toledo Refining Company
Dave Tighe Consultant, Findley, Inc.
Alain Trudel  Music Director, Toledo Symphony; Artistic Director, Toledo Jazz Orchestra
Stephanie Wang Jaros Master Lock - Fortune Brands Innovations
Traci Watkins, MD ProMedica
Lance Woodworth President, Destination Toledo, Inc.
   
Board Fellows Professional Affiliation
Samuel Adler, Ph.D. Professor of Composition at the Juilliard School
Stephanie Alexander Former Chair, Toledo Ballet
DeAnn Gorun Baker RE/MAX Preferred Associates
Dr. Tom Brady Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Plastic Technologies, Inc. (Retired)
William F. Buckley President & COO (Retired), Hylant Group
Elaine Canning Vice President, Palmer Energy (Retired)
Debbie David President & CEO, Sauder Village
Jeanne DeWitt CPU, Inc.
Michael Ellison, PhD Bowling Green State University
Eric S. Fankhauser Vice President, Toledo Metal Spinning Company 
Judy Gorun RE/MAX Preferred Associates
Pam Hershberger EY (Retired)
Kenneth E. Hileman President, Hileman & Associates
Kim Howard Red Doors of Toledo
Frank Jacobs Member, Eastman & Smith Ltd.
Jeff Jaffe Jaffe Jewelers (Retired)
Harley Kripke President, Kripke & Associates
Darryl R. Lippman Healthcare Executive (Retired)
C. Allen McConnell Judge, (Retired) Toledo Municipal Court
William R. McDonnell Regional President & Head of Corporate and Commercial Banking, PNC Bank
Ronald A. McMaster Glasstech Inc. (Retired)
Joe Napoli President & CEO, Toledo Mud Hens
Randy Oostra ProMedica (Retired)
Mark Pietrykowski Judge, Court of Appeals - 6th District
Jon Richardson    Attorney at Law
Mark Ridenour Heidtman Steel Products, Inc.
Ronald Rybarczyk Government & Public Affairs, Cenovus
Ann Sanford   Sanford Farms LLC
Sharon S. Speyer Regional President, Huntington Bank (Retired)
Stephen H. Staelin Managing Partner (Retired), Ernst & Young LLP
John S. Szuch Executive Officer, Signature Bank
Louis E. Tosi Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Julie Waidelich-Roberts Kingston Healthcare
Jane Wurth Ragazza Boutique