AMERICAN STAGE THEATRE COMPANY
727-823-PLAY
211 3rd St. S.
St. Petersburg, FL
Click Map for Directions!
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American Stage Theatre Company's Board of Trustees
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Alfred T. May, President
Al May was a banking executive with Home Federal for many years, and was with the company when it and the St. Petersburg Times co-founded American Stage Shakespeare in the Park. A longtime, loyal friend of American Stage, Al has served several terms on the board of trustees, exhibiting a love for theater and contributing valuable expertise in matters of financial planning. Al has sponsored productions at American Stage for more than 10 years, including Anna in the Tropics, I Am My Own Wife, Dinner with Friends, and Suddenly Last Summer. |
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Evan E. Whittle, Vice Chairman
Evan Whittle works at Raymond James & Associates as First Vice President, Investments, Branch Manager of the downtown St. Petersburg Branch. He is president-elect of the Florida Securities Dealers Association, serves 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.
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Gretchen Letterman, Secretary
Gretchen Letterman is a journalist with nearly 23 years of experience at the St. Petersburg Times, and currently leads the Times' Newspaper in Education program. She is honored to be on the board of American Stage Theater Company, where her two children contracted permanent cases of the acting virus during summer camps and holiday productions. Gretchen and her husband enjoyed American Stage opening night season tickets for years, before children, and once again are glad to be back as regular audience members at this impressive cultural asset to the community. |
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Robin A. Grabowksi, Treasurer
Robin Grabowski followed a career in the information technology field by pursuing her dream of owning a full-service day spa. She opened Tranquility Day Spa in St. Petersburg in 2003, and the company was voted the 2005 Rookie Business of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Robin is active in a number of community organizations including the Junior League and the Florida International Museum Guild. She is extremely excited to be a part of the American Stage family. |
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John E. (Jed) Wilkinson, Member-at-Large
John "Jed" E. Wilkinson currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company. He previously was Executive Vice President and Senior Retail Officer of First State Bank since November 2002. Prior to joining First State, Mr. Wilkinson served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SouthTrust Bank from 1987 to 2002.
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Richard (Dick) Averitt
Dick Averitt is chairman and CEO of Raymond James Financial Services (RJFS), and serves as chairman of the board of directors of RJFS. The retired U.S. Marine Corps aviator and certified financial planner was raised in St. Petersburg and was pleased to return to the area concurrent with his increased responsibilities at RJFS in 2003. Dick serves on numerous industry committees and the board of directors of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, and is an enthusiastic supporter of American Stage. He and his wife Sandra have three grown children. |
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Gregory W. Bryant
Gregory W. Bryant has been the President of Florida Business BancGroup and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bay Cities Bank since January 2001. He first joined Bay Cities Bank as its Executive Vice President and Senior Lender in October 1999. Immediately prior to that, he was an account executive with GE Capital. From 1986 to 1999, Mr. Bryant was with SouthTrust Bank, where he attained the position of Senior Vice President, Manager of Metro Banking. He received a Bachelor of Science from Jacksonville State University and graduated from the University of Colorado's Graduate School of Banking in 1998. Mr. Bryant is active in the Idlewild Baptist Church and other Tampa civic activities.
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Paul Carder
Paul 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. |
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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.
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Barry Dingman
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 theater and is an active supporter of a sister cultural organization, The Florida Orchestra.
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Buddy Eller
Buddy Eller is the Florida communications manager at Progress Energy, overseeing all external corporate communication -- advertising, media and customer information -- as well as employee communication. He and his wife and two sons, came to St. Petersburg from Washington D. C. last year. The native Georgian has been active in the cultural life of the many communities in which he has lived. Buddy is enthusiastic about becoming involved with American Stage, and brings a newcomers perspective to the theater.
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Larry Hamrick
Larry Hamrick has been with Bank of America for over five years, the last three as a Vice President and client manager in the wealth management division of the bank. His love of the arts dates back to his youth when he exhibited his work as a painter and sketch artist. Larry and his wife, Cynthia, have lived in the St. Petersburg area for most of the last ten years. Both Larry and Cynthia are very excited about the opportunity to be involved with "this wonderful organization."
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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).
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Kelly McBride
Kelly McBride A faculty member and the Ethics Group Leader at the Poynter Institute, Kelly McBride 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 McBride 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 newly created American Stage Youth Ensemble.
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Jennifer McClintic
Jennifer McClintic is a principal with Sabal Trust Company, one of American Stage's major corporate supporters. She is currently a candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst program and a member of the CFA institute. Jennifer also serves the community through her commitment to St. Anthony's Hospital Auxiliary, where she is a lifetime member. She has a long-standing love for theater and the arts and looks forward to supporting American Stage, a unique asset in the Tampa Bay community.
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Isaac McKinney III
Isaac McKinney 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. Isaac 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, FL.
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Brian V. Reale
Brian V. Reale is an internationally published interior designer from New York City who has been a board member on and off since 1991. His designed the American Stage lobby and garden and assisted in the 1994-95 theater renovation project with the theater's original founders. An avid supporter and fan, he assists with actors' housing and introduces new arrivals to the community to American Stage. Brian motto is, "Good theater is a basic requirement for any prosperous and civilized community and as essential as breathing, the sun and the moon, the wind and the rain."
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Lee Rightmyer
Lee Rightmyer is a shareholder at the law firm of Carlton Fields, and practices in the Carlton Fields Real Property Litigation Practice Group Lee is also serving this year as president of the St Petersburg Bar Association. Even though his beloved Detroit Tigers are doing well these days, he brings hislifelong passion for the underdog to his service on the Board of American Stage.
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Mirella Smith
Mirella Smith was born and raised in Rome and then resided in Chicago where she worked with opera singers on their Italian diction; translated librettos; and served on the board of the Lyric Opera. She has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Central Region for over 20 years. Since moving to St. Petersburg, Mirella has been active in the Mahaffey Theater Guild and the Arts Center; and as a member of Eckerd College''s Academy of Senior Professionals, she endowed a scholarship for theater students. |
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William (Bill) Stickley
Bill Stickley was a member of the faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine. He is currently a member of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) and is a student as well as an accomplished practitioner of photography. He has provided photographic records of many American Stage events, especially in organizing and documenting several of the trips that are organized every year to benefit American Stage.
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Cathy Swanson
Cathy Swanson is currently senior vice president/commercial banker at Synovus Bank of Tampa Bay. Her love of theater goes back to performing in high school and college productions in Tulsa, OK. She has previously served on the boards of the Palladium Theater, LiveArts Peninsula Foundation, and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic; and is currently the 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.
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Mary Harden Wall
Mary Harden Wall is the former head of school for Shorecrest Preparatory School, one of Pinellas County's most prestigious private schools. Before retiring in 2005, she enjoyed a successful 33-year career at Shorecrest as a fifth-grade teacher, lower division head, and interim head of school before becoming head of school. She currently resides in downtown St. Petersburg with her husband.
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Donald A. Shea, Immediate Past President
Don Shea came to the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership in 2001 as its executive vice president, and was named president & CEO in 2003. Don has been a member of the American Stage board for about five years, with a particular interest in bringing new people to experience the theater. As a downtown development professional, Don believes that high-quality theater and other cultural opportunities are a key element in creating sustainable urban centers. He and his wife Dianne recently moved from St. Peteresburg's Euclid/St. Paul neighborhood to Shreveport, LA. |
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Marshall Craig, Past President
Marshall Craig owns a manufacturing business in St. Petersburg and is on the boards of Shorecrest Preparatory School and Hands On!, an internationally recognized not-for-profit that designs and builds museum experiences. He and his wife Diana came to St. Petersburg in 1978 from Chicago with their two children, seeking the sun and a warm, embracing community. They found both, and they also found American Stage, where they have been season ticket holders for more than two decades.
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