Asolo Rep Elects New Board President Carole Crosby and Five New Members to its Board of Directors

Asolo Repertory Theatre proudly announces that Carole Crosby has assumed the leadership of its Board of Directors, on July 1, 2020. Ms. Crosby has served on Asolo Rep’s Board for the past seven years. Principal harpist with the Detroit Symphony while simultaneously pursuing her law degree, she later became a partner at a major Detroit law firm. Carole has served as an Asolo Rep Endowment Trustee and on Asolo Rep’s Nominating & Governance Committee and Executive Committee prior to being named President Elect in the 2018-2019 season.

Five new members have been added to the Board of Directors roster. The elected members are all esteemed regional and national leaders, selected to serve alongside an already impressive list of Sarasota arts and civic influencers to guide the Theatre into an exhilarating future.

The new Board members who began serving their three-year terms on July 1, 2020 are:

· Kathleen France, served on the Boards of the Fine Arts Society of Sarasota (now Arts Advocates) and the Ringling College Library Association as Chair of the Art Lecture Series

· Deb Kabinoff, entrepreneur and CEO for GulfStar Homes, a real estate development, construction, and management company, who serves on the Board of the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

· Lucie Lapovsky, economist, consultant, writer and speaker who chairs the Board of the KnowledgeWorks Foundation and also serves on the Boards of the American Public University System, the Tuition Exchange and the Suncoast International Women’s Forum

· Joel Morganroth, academic cardiologist who also serves as a Trustee for the Ringling College of Art and Design, the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation, The Marie Selby Gardens, and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota

· Jim Wadsworth, Chairman of the John R. Oishei Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the Buffalo area, as well as Chairman of the Shaw Festival Foundation, Director of the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society, and the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo and Erie County.

“Our remarkably dedicated Board of Directors is an essential part of Asolo Rep’s strength and growth,” said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director, Michael Donald Edwards. “As the theatre works through the current challenges raised by the pandemic and we look ahead to reopening our stages as soon as safely possible, it is vital that we have a wide variety of strong leaders. We are delighted that Carole Crosby will be taking on the Board Presidency and our new members are already working on Board committees and in other ways to share their knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm.”

“It is with tremendous excitement and great humility that I accept the position of President of Asolo Rep,” said new Board president Carole Crosby.  “I am delighted and truly grateful to be chosen for this honor.  It is an exciting prospect to play a role in ensuring the distinguished legacy of Asolo Rep, as a vital contributor to the cultural and educational landscape of Sarasota.  I embrace the task wholeheartedly.”

“Asolo Rep is poised for staging yet more impressive and engaging productions as soon as audiences and actors can return, said immediate past president Ann Charters. “In the meantime do check out the Asolo Rep Engage on our website and see what theatrics we have online. It has been an honor to be President for the past two years and I look forward to serving in many ways with this talented board.”

Asolo Rep’s 2020-21 Board of Directors

Carole Crosby – President

Lawrence Haspel – Vice President

Jules Price – Vice President

Dennis Dirks – Treasurer

Giselle Huberman – Secretary

Betsy Marshall – General Counsel

Ann Charters ­– Immediate Past President

Robert Baer 

Beverly Bartner 

Bob Bartner 

David I. Bavar 

Terry Brackett 

Mary Braxton-Joseph

Susan C. Buck

Terrance Burzynski

Jim Chandler III 

Warren J. Coville 

Jaime DiDomenico 

Susan Dweck 

Andrew M. Economos 

L’Tanya C. Evans 

Kathleen France

Herman Frankel 

Ronald Greenbaum 

Gary Heard 

Nona Macdonald Heaslip 

Judith Hofmann 

Charlie Huisking 

Mark Irwin

Deb Kabinoff

Carolyn Keystone 

Beverly L. Koski 

Ruth Kreindler 

Lucie Lapovsky

Flora Major 

Nancy Markle 

Elenor Maxheim 

L. Scott Merritt 

Joel Morganroth

Melanie Natarajan 

Paul E. Nelson 

Carol Phillips 

Joanne Powers

William Sandy

Nikki Sedacca

Stephanie L. Shaw 

Mort Siegel

Eva T. Slane

Chet Thompson

William S. Villafranco

Jim Wadsworth

Marysue Wechsler

Mary Lou Winnick

Margaret Wise

Joan Wood

Geri J. Yonover

Patricia Anderson Ex-Officio

John Thrasher Ex-Officio

James Frazier Ex-Officio

Stanley Kane Honorary Member    

About ASolo Rep: Now looking forward to its 62nd season, Asolo Repertory Theatre is recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. One of the few select theatres in the nation that performs in true rotating repertory, Asolo Rep’s highly skilled acting company and extensive craftsmanship bring to life this unique performance method that gives audiences the opportunity to see multiple productions in the span of a few days. Asolo Rep presents up to 10 productions each season including contemporary and classic works and provocative musical theatre experiences. A theatre district in and of itself, Asolo Rep is committed to expanding its reach into the community, furthering its collaboration with the best theatre artists working in the industry today and cultivating new artists through its affiliation with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards and Managing Director Linda DiGabriele, Asolo Rep’s ambitious theatrical offerings and groundbreaking education and community programming engage audiences and ensure its lasting legacy for future generations. 

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