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American Stage
Board of Trustees
OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 Cathy Swanson, Chair
Cathy Swanson is currently executive vice president at Synovus Bank of Tampa Bay. Her love of theatre goes back to performing in high school and college productions in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has previously served on the board of the Palladium Theater, LiveArts Peninsula Foundation, and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic; and is past president of the Kiwanis Club of St. Petersburg. Cathy has sung in the Sanctuary Choir and Praise Band at the First Presbyterian Church. She came to St. Petersburg in 1980 and has two college age daughters.
 Frank Biafora, Vice Chair
Frank Biafora serves as Professor and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at USF St. Petersburg. He and his wife Lea Ann moved to the area in the summer of 2007 from New York where Frank was a member of the faculty at St. John’s University since 1993. His love of the arts and theatre go back to his early childhood where music and performance was an integral part of the Biafora family. Frank is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Miami. As a recent graduate of Leadership St. Pete (Class of 2008) he is honored to be a member of the American Stage family and to support the vibrant Arts community of St. Petersburg.
 Barry Dingman, Treasurer
Barry Dingman is retired from (GTE) Verizon where he held various management positions in information technology. His avocation has always been music (organ, piano and voice), and he has served as church organist, performed with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and sings in his church choir. He has a continuing interest in the theatre and is an active supporter of a sister cultural organization, The Florida Orchestra.
 Matthew J. Conigliaro, Esq., Secretary
Matt Conigliaro is a shareholder at Carlton Fields (St. Petersburg office) specializing in appellate law and complex commercial litigation. His web log at www.abstractappeal.com is the first web log devoted to Florida Law and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He has served as an officer of the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section since 2004, currently serving as Vice-Chair, and is also a member of the American Bar Association and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association. He is a member of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, where he serves as chair of the Finance Council. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Matt received his law degree cum laude from Tulane Law School, and served as Deputy Solicitor General of Florida from 2001-2002. Born in Connecticut, Matt has lived most of his life in Florida but has lived all over the state and, at times, all over the country. He and his wife Debbie have lived in St. Petersburg for the past 12 years and are currently residents of the newly vibrant downtown neighborhood, where Matt is active in the Tampa Bay Fit Club, training marathon runners in his spare time.
 Paul C. Carder, Exec. Committee Member-at-Large
Paul C. Carder, originally from Chicago, is retired, following a career in the advertising agency business in New York and Toronto. In Toronto, Paul was involved with many not-for-profits (Toronto Community Foundation, Heart & Stroke Foundation), including several performing arts organizations: Soulpepper Theatre Company, Canada’s leading classical theatre company; the Thousand Islands Playhouse; The National Ballet of Canada; and Ballet Jorgen. Paul was also a leading force in the creation of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, a $14 million performing arts and educational facility in the heart of downtown Toronto. Paul is a member of Leadership St. Pete class of 2008 and has recently joined the Board of the Arts Center. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his MBA from the Harvard Business School. Paul and his wife, Jacqueline MacNeil, recently moved to St. Petersburg after visiting for several years.
 Al Karnavicius, Exec. Committee Member-at-Large
We welcome Al Karnavicius back to our board after a few years’ hiatus. Al is originally from Chicago and came to St. Petersburg in 1958. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 1973 with a BA in language and literature. He is founder and president of Bayprint, a commercial printing and imaging firm in St. Petersburg. Al is a current or former board member of the following organizations: St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors (past vice president communications), the Chamber’s Small Business Council (past chairman), the Arts Center (past president), Kiwanis Club of St. Petersburg (past president) and of course, American Stage (past president). He has won numerous awards including Pinellas County Arts Council’s “Friends of the Arts” in 1992 (with his wife Nancy) and the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts “Patron Award” in 2000 (also with his wife Nancy). In addition, Al has served as the Honorary Consul to the Republic of Lithuania since 1999.
 Evan E. Whittle, Immediate Past Chair
Evan Whittle works at Raymond James & Associates as First Vice President - Investments Complex Manager - St. Petersburg. In his job, which is his passion, he gets to work with the finest financial advisors in the Bay area and also helps select individuals and families in creating and managing their unique legacy plans. He is a past president of the Florida Securities Dealers Association, served on the board of the Arts Center, and is past president of the Zodiac Club, the young supporters of the Dali Museum. Evan, his wife Diana and their son Tyler (an actor in the making) love everything that St. Petersburg has to offer … especially the fantastic plays presented by American Stage.
TRUSTEES
 Mary Anne Assiff
Mary Ann Assiff is the founding director of the Youth Arts Corps, an arts-based youth development and job training program encompassing artist residencies in community and juvenile justice settings, training for artists and youth workers, and four after-school arts programs serving youth ages 9 - 17. With over 26 years experience in the social services working with youth and families, Mary Ann brings a broad background in youth development, mental health counseling, program development and community relations to her work with youth and the arts. She has served as a consultant to the National Endowment for the Arts on juvenile justice arts programming and as a grants panelist on the state and local level. The Youth Arts Corps has been named a model arts program in Florida. Mary Ann also implemented the Safe Place program in Pinellas County and was the co-founder of Pet Planet, Inc. a pet service business which she sold in 2006. She is the mother of a 25 year old son who is a recent graduate of Rhode Island School of Design who is now living in Brooklyn near where Mary Ann grew up. Her partner, Lisa Sahulka also works in human services and is an avid theatre champion, growing up with the rich New York City theatre offerings throughout her childhood. American Stage has been an active partner with the Youth Arts Corps for the past five years and Mary Ann is thrilled to be a part of the American Stage family in this new capacity.
 Angela Biever
As Chief Administrative Officer of Raymond James Financial, Angela Biever has responsibility for the firm’s key operational areas including information technology, operations and administration, human resources, legal, and risk management.
Before joining the staff in May 2008, Ms Biever served over ten years as a member of the firm’s board of directors and was chairman of the audit committee. Prior to that, she was a vice president of Intel Capital and managing director of Intel Capital’s Consumer Internet Sector. In that role she had worldwide responsibility for Intel Capital’s venture capital investments in consumer-related Internet businesses and technologies. Ms. Biever had previously led Intel’s New Business Initiatives, an internal incubator for the creation of new businesses.
Prior to Intel, Ms. Biever held a number of executive titles at several companies including First Data Corporation, American Express and Time Inc. and was a consultant at McKinsey & Company. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in business from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
 Lora L. Brown, MD
Lora L. Brown, MD is a board certified Interventional Pain Management Specialist. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston and completed her surgical internship and anesthesia residency at University Hospital in San Antonio. She then completed her fellowship training in pain management at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation as Chief Fellow. Currently she is a physician partner at Coastal Orthopedics and Pain Management in Bradenton, where she treats all types of chronic pain conditions.
Dr. Brown is the immediate past president of the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. She is a member of numerous professional organizations and holds local, state, and national professional board positions in the medical field.
Introduced to the arts at a young age by her mother, Linda Brown, Lorrie has developed a love of theater, music and art. She resides in downtown St. Petersburg and is committed to the preservation of the arts in our community. Lorrie is very excited to be a part of American Stage and looks forward to promoting its continued success.
 Kristy Brundage
Kristy Brundage is associate general counsel for Progress Energy overseeing all construction and real estate legal matters. Prior to joining Progress Energy, she worked for Taylor Woodrow, a land development company, and in the Tampa office of Carlton Fields. She is a member of the Leadership St. Pete Class of 2008 along with board members Robin Grabowski, Frank Biafora, Paul Carder and Bill Ulbricht, and was on the Planning Committee for LSP 2009. She is also a member of the Executive Council of the Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and is a co-Vice Chair of that Section’s Development and Governmental Regulation Committee. Kristy graduated from the University of Michigan and received her law degree from Stetson Law School. A native of Michigan, she has lived in St. Petersburg for nine years.
 Jean Carnes
Jean Carnes is Director of the Learning Center at Shorecrest Preparatory School which offers support intervention to students in grades K – 12. She has been an administrator at Shorecrest for the past nine years and has been involved in education for more than twenty years. She serves on the International Dyslexia Association board and participates in the Meals on Wheels program in St. Petersburg during the summer. She and her husband, Gary, have two children in college and she is working on her doctoral degree in higher education. She has been a season ticket holder for twelve years, and both she and her husband thoroughly enjoy the plays performed at American Stage. She looks forward to serving and supporting the arts in downtown St. Petersburg.
 Scott A. Fisher, Esq.
Scott is a Board Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist who represents employers in all types of employment matters. He is also a Certified Instructor for the Florida Department of Financial Services for Continuing Education. Prior to joining the Fisher Law Group as a shareholder/partner, Scott was a shareholder/partner at Fowler White Boggs Banker, PA in Tampa. He received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, magnum cum laude, where he was the Managing Editor of the Law Review. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida. His community involvement includes being part of the Leadership St. Pete Class of 2008, a member of the Board of Directors at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County, and the Rough Riders Charitable Organization. Scott learned of American Stage through his Leadership St. Pete classmates Paul Carder, Bill Ulbricht, Robin Grabowski and Frank Biafora.
 Barbara Mazer Gross
Barbara Mazer Gross has been involved with the arts both as a performer and administrator for many years. Growing up in Nashville, TN, Barbara was active in community theatre as well as songleading for her national youth group. She attended Washington University (St. Louis), receiving undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Music (Classical Voice), and a Master’s degree in Psychology. After leaving St. Louis, Barbara was a program coordinator for the Jewish Community Center in Columbus, Ohio from 1999 to 2002. Upon relocation to Florida, Barbara was the Cantorial Soloist and Program Director for Temple B’nai Israel for two years before pursuing non-profit arts management. Barbara was Director of Development for American Stage for three seasons before becoming the Director of Development of Ruth Eckerd Hall in 2007. She joined the Tessitura Network team in 2009 in Business Development. She continues her involvement with music as a Cantorial Soloist at Temple Beth-El and appears on two CDs of Jewish music. Barbara lives in St. Petersburg with her husband, Dr. John Gross, a Family Medicine / Sports Medicine physician with St. Anthony’s Primary Care.
 Mike Harting
Mike Harting is the owner/operator of Bella Brava New World Trattoria located in downtown St. Petersburg. With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Mike worked at Outback Steakhouse for 15 years, most recently as Joint Venture Partner (JVP) for West Florida after being promoted from store manager. He has held numerous other corporate and regional leadership positions for recognized concepts such as Metromedia Restaurant Group (Steak & Ale) and Hooters.
A longtime resident of St Petersburg, Mike is deeply committed to the community and sits on the Board of the Pinellas Marine Institute (PMI) and also serves on the All Children’s Hospital Development Council. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). Mike was recognized by former Governor Jeb Bush while at Outback for humanitarian efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Mike graduated from the University of Florida with a double major in Finance and Information Systems. He is married to Leigh and is the proud father of three daughters: Meadow, Livvi and Madison.
 Bob Devin Jones
Bob Devin Jones is artistic director of Studio @ 620, a recently launched creative venue in downtown St. Petersburg. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Bank of America 2005 Local Hero award and the Weekly Planet Best of the Bay awards (Directing: 2001, Playwright: 2002, New Gallery: Studio @ 620 in 2005).
 Kiley Mahaffey
Kiley Mahaffey is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has a private practice in St. Petersburg. She provides individual, couples, children, and family therapy. Her specialties include anxiety, grief and loss, divorce adjustment, and trauma-based counseling. Kiley received her BA at Elon University and her Masters at University of Miami. She has worked at previous non-profit organizations, such as Family Service Centers, Inc, and Suncoast Hospice. She was born and raised in St. Petersburg and is involved in other community organizations, such as Project Patchwork. Kiley grew up going to American Stage and other cultural events in the community and looks forward to being a part of the American Stage family.
 Kelly McBride
Kelly McBride is a faculty member and the Ethics Group Leader at the Poynter Institute. Kelly teaches journalists from around to the world, consults in newsrooms, conducts workshops across the country and writes for Poynter Online and other journalism publications. A veteran reporter for 15 years, Kelly has covered crime, courts, faith and ethics, drawing on her academic training in journalism and religious studies. Kelly’s three children, Molly, Maggie and Clark, have been involved in American Stage’s education programs for several years and Molly is a member of the American Stage Youth Ensemble.
 Jennifer McClintic
Jennifer McClintic is a principal with Sabal Trust Company, one of American Stage’s major corporate supporters. She serves the community through her commitment to St. Anthony's Hospital where she is a lifetime member of the Auxiliary, and serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Anthony's Hospital Foundation. Jennifer is also Vice President of 6 In the City, a registered not-for-profit organization in St. Petersburg, serves on the Board of Advisors for Extreme Enterprises, Inc., and is a Director on the Board of CFA Tampa Bay. Jennifer received her bachelor's degree from Eckerd College and earned her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Tampa. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, is a member of the CFA Institute, and is a graduate of the ABA National Trust School.
 Isaac McKinney III
Isaac McKinney III is a manager in Client Solutions for PriceWaterHouseCoopers, LLP, where he manages IT Governance Application Environments. Prior to joining PWC, Isaac held positions at Accenture, LLP and Oracle Corporation. Isaac is a graduate of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Business. Isaac is a graduate of Leadership St. Petersburg. He is an active volunteer and advocate for several community organizations, including Suncoast Boys & Girls Clubs, Florida Prostate Cancer Network, 5000 role models, American Heart Association, Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance and others. He currently serves on the board of trustees for the YWCA of Tampa Bay. He is a native of St. Petersburg, Florida.
 Diane Bailey Morton
Diane Bailey Morton is a local attorney and mediator who practices in the area of Labor and Employment. She has been a Board member and volunteer for American Stage for many years, just recently rejoining after a brief hiatus. Her strong support of the theatre is evident in her almost yearly Mainstage co-sponsorships, and her great sense of humor is evident in her playbill ad for American Stage in the Park (quoting Henry VI): "The first thing we do is kill all the lawyers." She currently also serves on the Board of Trustees of Great Explorations, the Children's Museum, as volunteer General Counsel. Her daughters, Bailey and Sarah, have volunteered at the Park concession booths for over ten years. Sarah performed in King Island Christmas for two years. Diane is married to Nicholas Morton and they reside in St. Petersburg.
 Robert Rudnicki
Vice President - Director of Litigation since 2006 for Raymond James Financial. Prior to Raymond James, Bob was Senior Counsel with Bank of America for 15 years and managed several of Bank of America's highest profile litigation, including the Enron and WorldCom litigation. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Buffalo (B.S. Biology) and a 1981 honors graduate of the UCLA School of Law. Bob is married to the former Joy Krystofiak and has three children, Donna (18), Laura (16) and Nick (14). Bob and Joy have been subscribers to American Stage since 2008 and are members of the 229 Club.
-Ulbricht.png) William (Bill) Ulbricht
Bill Ulbricht is president of St. Anthony’s Health Care, a one-hospital system with 395 beds located in St. Petersburg. Bill was appointed president of St. Anthony’s in April 2007. Previously, he was the COO for South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City for ten years. He has more than 15 years of operational and management experience and a strong background in health care finance. While in Plant City, Bill also volunteered his time in leadership positions for organizations such as the Plant City Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, the Lions Club and the city’s Planning Board. He also served on the boards of the American Cancer Society and the United Way. Bill received his bachelor’s degree in business administration-finance from the University of Kentucky, and his MBA from Regis University in Denver.
 Scott Wagman
Scott Wagman is a real estate entrepreneur, developing, purchasing and managing retail, office and industrial real estate through his company, MyBuyersWin, Inc. His community leadership experience includes Leadership St. Pete (Class of 2009), St. Petersburg Citizen Police Academy (Class of 2008), CONA Leadership (Class of 2008), Pinellas Citizen University (Class of 2008), Lawyers for Literacy, Canterbury School of Florida, Suncoast Ronald McDonald House. He has been involved with American Stage for many years, having served a term as Board President in 1999-2000, and now returning to the board as the 2009 Gala Committee Chair. Scott is married to Beth A. Houghton and has three children.
Timothy P. Watson
Tim is currently the Director of Reimbursement for Physicians RightPath, a Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Clinical Group. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Tim relocated to St. Petersburg, FL approximately eight years ago to be closer to family. Tim received his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University in Health Planning and Administration and his graduate degree from the University of Southern California in Systems Management. Tim was also a Captain and Instructor Navigator in the U.S. Air Force.
Tim was a member, board member and the Treasurer of the Renaissance City Choir in Pittsburgh and was the Co-Chair of their 10th anniversary concert that was staged with visiting choirs from three other cities. Tim has been a volunteer at the St. Petersburg Museum of History and was Co-Chair of a fundraising event honoring Governor Charlie Crist with a portrait hanging at the Museum and a dinner at the Farley Estate. Tim has been a season ticket holder at American Stage for over four years.
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