Straz Center COO Lorrin Shepard Retires After A Nearly 35-year Tenure

Straz Center President and CEO Greg Holland has announced the retirement of Lorrin Shepard as chief operating officer of Tampa's David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts.

Shepard joined what was the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in 1990 as production manager, after previously serving in similar capacities at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tenn., and at Vanderbilt University. In 1992, he was named vice president of operations and assumed responsibility for the daily operations of the facility. In 2001, Shepard was named executive vice president and general manager and in 2005 was named chief operating officer. 

During his expansive tenure, Shepard has overseen all aspects of The Straz Center's general programs and services including the advancement of the organization's strategic mission and the administration of ticketing, guest services, production services, security and safety, facilities, retail and food and beverage.

Early in his tenure, Shepard orchestrated and implemented the decision to bring food and beverage service in house, resulting in a substantial increase in annual gross revenue.

In 2004, he managed the construction and opening of the $8 million Dr. Pallavi Patel Performing Arts Conservatory and is currently serving as the project manager for $100 million Master Plan renovation, which will dramatically expand public and educational spaces and enhance the aesthetic character of the Tampa arts district. After his retirement, Shepard will continue as a consultant on the Master Plan – a project he has been spearheading since 2008.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shepard provided key leadership in the development and implementation of COVID protocols for the Straz Center and for the performing arts venue industry nationwide, serving as the lead editor of the Performing Arts Center Consortium's Guide to Reopening Theatrical Venues, released in June 2020.

He has served as performing arts sector chief for the International Association of Venue Managers and serves on multiple local committees which consider matters relating to Tampa's urban design and infrastructure.

Shepard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts with a concentration in theater production from Indiana's Earlham College. 

The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts is one of the largest performing arts complexes in the country. The 335,000 square-foot Straz Center provides an environment for a wide variety of world-class events. It boasts one of the nation's leading Broadway series and is nationally respected for producing grand opera, as well as presenting a wide variety of concerts, performances, and events. In a typical season, more than 600,000 patrons attend 1,500+ events at the Straz Center. The Straz is also home to the Patel Conservatory which annually serves nearly 65,000 students with a variety of educational activities and classes, Opera Tampa and its resident theater company, Jobsite Theater.