Blumenthal Performing Arts Welcomes New Board Chair and Trustees

Blumenthal Performing Arts has announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Trustees. Susanna Parker, David Head and William Smith were confirmed to the board January 27, during Blumenthal's Annual Meeting streamed over Zoom from Booth Playhouse. Brian Cromwell was also named Blumenthal's new Board Chair.

"Blumenthal Performing Arts throughout its history has been fortunate to attract talented, committed individuals who generously devote themselves to service," said Tom Gabbard, President and CEO of Blumenthal Performing Arts. "This new class of Trustees continues that great tradition. We rely on their expertise and insight to help us know how best to use our programs to strengthen our community."

Susanna Parker

Susanna is the Associate General Counsel for Data Driven Safety, LLC in Huntersville, leading the Government Relations team, managing the company's data acquisition efforts and serving as the Compliance Counsel. She assists in furthering the company's mission in pioneering insurance underwriting, criminal monitoring, driver safety, vehicle history and healthcare cost containment services.

Prior to moving to the Charlotte area, Susanna served as Counsel for the National Mediation Board in Washington, DC specializing in airline and railroad labor issues. Susanna advised three Presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed Board Members regarding labor and employment matters and was a Contributing Editor to The Railway Labor Act, the premiere treatise on airline and railroad law. During the course of her 14-year tenure at the National Mediation Board, she was appointed by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama as Special Counsel to numerous Presidential Emergency Boards.

Susanna is the current President of the Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access, a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open public record access. She is also very active in the local community, volunteering with Claire's Army, serving as Vice-Chair of the Davidson Community Players and serving on the Development Committee for Blumenthal Performing Arts. Susanna resides in Cornelius with her husband, Rob, and their three children where they enjoy spending time together on Lake Norman.

David Head

David Head has over 20 years' experience in consulting and banking. Throughout his career he has managed business units, lead talent acquisition efforts, deepened client relationships, and engaged employees in key strategies.

David joined Grant Thornton in 2014 to work with the firm's largest clients to help them reach their business objectives. His client teams align capabilities, remain relevant on industry trends, present emerging technologies, adapt to disruptive forces, and assess regulatory changes.

Prior to Grant Thornton, he served 10 years as an SVP for one of the largest U.S.-based global banks in their Consumer Bank organization. He led national teams in a variety of roles including as lead executive for a Consumer customer segment across all products, services, and channels. He also served on the Charlotte Market President Leadership team where he built connections across Consumer, Commercial, Wealth Management and Enterprise Support businesses.

Prior to the bank, David worked for a leading global consulting firm for eleven years where he was a consultant and a Senior Recruiting Manager. He spent a year in Frankfurt, Germany, where he managed the recruitment marketing and sourcing team for Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. He taught recruiting skills courses for executive teams nationally and around the world. He was also one of the founding members of the Carolinas Diversity Committee.

David's community involvement includes serving as co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Charlotte YMCA, a Board member of The Children's Theatre of Charlotte, a member of the Board of Advisors for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, and an alumnus of the United Way's Leading the Way program.

William Smith

William serves as a Senior Vice President and the Western Carolinas Market Leader in Commercial Banking for PNC Bank. Based in Charlotte, William is responsible for leading the overall strategy and production for PNC's Commercial Banking business in western North and South Carolina. He is also responsible for building the PNC brand and supporting the investments in the communities PNC serves.

William has 26 years of banking experience, with the last 18 years being at PNC and predecessor banks. He has held senior level positions in a variety of business lines, including commercial banking, commercial real estate, and private banking.

William attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he earned a B.A. degree in Economics. William is active in the community and currently serves as the Board Chair for the Dowd YMCA and Director for the British American Business Council. He lives in Charlotte with his wife (Leigh) and two daughters (Clara and Fuller).

The slate of board members for 2021 is listed below:

Brian Cromwell, Board Chair

Kristin Hills Bradberry, Past Chair

John Giannuzzi, Governance Chair

Kevin R. White, Treasurer, Finance & Audit Chair

Matthew Salisbury, Secretary

Tom Eiselt, Compensation Chair

Portia Sherman MacKinnon, Development Chair

Renee Hobart, Education Chair

Scott Tozier, Facilities Chair

Anjali Shah, Marketing & Community Relations Chair

Richard Battle Michelle Y. Lee

Tariq Bokhari Susanne H. McGuire

Dena R. Diorio Jaime Monday

Charlie Elberson Gail Sharps Myers

D. Feit Richard L. Nichols, Jr.

Erin Lavely Fisher Susanna Parker

Harrell (apprentice) Courtney D. Rogers

David Head Rasu Shrestha, MD

Jen Henry William Smith

Reneé Johnson Evan M. Turtz

To post a comment, you must register and login.