Baltimore Center Stage Board Of Trustees Appoints Four New Members

Baltimore Center Stage and its Board of Trustees have appointed four new members. Durryle Brooks, Ph.D, M.A, Rob Daniels, Chrissy Thornton, and Delegate Stephanie M. Smith will join the BCS Board of Trustees effective immediately after the Board approved their tenure during a February 13, 2023 meeting.

"We enthusiastically welcome Durryle, Rob, Stephanie, and Chrissy to our Board of Trustees, and are thrilled with the wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise they bring to our organization," said BCS' Board of Trustees President Sandy Liotta. "They join a robust group of trustees, dedicated to furthering the mission of the theater's artistic leadership as BCS celebrates its 60th anniversary season.

The four new members of the Board of Trustees each bring a host of professional experience to their roles at BCS. These new trustees include:

Durryle Brooks, Ph.D, M.A

Durryle Brooks, Ph.D, M.A is an interdisciplinary researcher, scholar-practitioner, and a social justice educator from Baltimore. He is the Founder of Love and Justice Consulting LLC, an organizational and leadership development firm that provides leaders with diversity and social justice learning opportunities to increase their confidence, competence, and capacity to effectively lead anti-racism work within their organizations. He is the author of (Re)conceptualizing Love: Moving Towards a Critical Theory of Love in Education for Social Justice, which articulates a vision and framework for our individual and collective healing.

Rob Daniels

Rob was first exposed to Baltimore Center State in the fall of 2002 and it was love at first sight. "I couldn't believe how accessible and welcoming the theater was," he notes. "It's truly a space for everyone, and we're so fortunate to have it as a pillar of the Baltimore performing arts scene." When not working as a trial attorney representing the State of Maryland, Rob volunteers for a number of organizations including The Trevor Project and The Jill Fox Center for Hope - A LifeBridge Health Group, where he serves on the Advisory Council. He resides in Brooklandville with his partner, Brad, and their Frenchies, Mollie and Frank-the-Tank.

Chrissy Thornton

Chrissy is a high energy, creative, and outgoing executive with a professional attitude and diverse experience. She currently serves as President and CEO of Associated Black Charities, where she brings experience in organizational diagnosis and the design and facilitation of large-scale events and staff development activities. Chrissy has a background in successful fundraising, donor and corporate relations, digital engagement, grant writing, and the execution of exceptional meetings, events, training seminars, team building sessions, education conferences, fundraisers, peer-to-peer events, and more. A strategic thought leader with experience in diversity and inclusion, developing meaningful relationships, developing metrics for measuring progress, and identifying new organizational opportunities, she is thrilled to join BCS.

Stephanie M. Smith

Delegate Smith was just re-elected to serve her second term in the Maryland House of Delegates where she represents Baltimore City's 45th State Legislative District. She also chairs the Baltimore City House Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly. A Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Stephanie Chairs the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee and sits on the Capital Subcommittee. Stephanie has successfully passed over two dozen laws addressing public safety, economic justice and education. Stephanie served as the primary sponsor of the CROWN Act which prohibits discrimination of natural and protective hairstyles. By day, Stephanie serves as an Assistant Director for Equity, Engagement and Communications in the City of Baltimore's Department of Planning. Prior to joining the General Assembly, Stephanie worked in the federal policy arena as a staffer and lobbyist advancing public health, voting rights, affordable housing and environmental justice for the most vulnerable communities. Active in the Baltimore community, Stephanie has served on a host of Baltimore nonprofit boards and currently serves on the board for the Maryland School for the Blind (MSB). Stephanie is a proud graduate of Hampton University (BA), University of Delaware (MA), and Howard University School of Law (JD). She is a Member of the Maryland bar. Stephanie lives with her husband, two young sons, and mother in East Baltimore.

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