WaterTower Theatre Announces Board Elections for 2015-2016

WaterTower Theatre (WTT) has announced the election of Derek Blount as Chairman and Ben Cunningham as President of the WaterTower Theatre Board of Directors. WTT also announced the election of a slate of Board Officers including Vice President Wade Owens, Secretary Stan Graner, and Treasurer Jimmy Niemann.

The following directors were re-elected to a new term: Derek Blount, Stan Graner and Jimmy Niemann.

WaterTower Theatre also welcomes the appointment of two new Board members: Blake Clemens and Paul Shultz. They will join Board members Rosalind Benjet, Michael Canterbury, Rose Colarossi, Buddy Frazer, Laree Hulshoff, Margo Ramirez Keyes, Jeff Laceky, Terry Martin, Robert Mayer, Jr., Wade Owens, Corky Pledger and Debbie Staggs. WaterTower Theatre's Board Resources Committee was chaired by Derek Blount, Barbara Daseke and Stan Graner. Members of WTT's Board of Directors consist of leaders in the fields of business, publishing, education, law, finance, community activism, real estate, and the arts who volunteer their time and expertise on behalf of the organization.

Derek Blount has served as WaterTower Theatre's Board President for six years and has served on the WaterTower Theatre Board of Directors for eight years. He is also the Co-Chair of WaterTower Theatre's Corporate Council (with Wade Owens). Derek is the President of Happy Prince Media, LLC. His debut novel, the thriller "Hostile Takeover", was published this fall.

Ben Cunningham is Founder and CEO of Liberty Capital Bank in Addison. Ben joined the WaterTower Theatre Board of Directors in 2010. He has served in various capacities on the board including Vice President.

"I am so pleased that Derek Blount has agreed to continue his long and distinguished service to WaterTower Theatre as Chairman of the Board," said Terry Martin. "Derek has served for a number of years as our President with distinction and continues to provide the kind of solid leadership a growing arts organization requires."

"I am equally thrilled that Ben Cunningham has agreed to serve as the President of the Board of Directors," said Martin. "Ben has had a long history with WaterTower Theatre that dates back well into the '70s when the company was then a community theatre and he served as Treasurer. Ben brings a wealth of financial and leadership experience to this position which makes him an obvious choice to serve as President."

"I am pleased to welcome our two newest board members to WaterTower Theatre, Blake Clemens and Paul Shultz" Martin continued. "Blake has had a long association with WaterTower Theatre and has been a champion of our work. Paul and his company Slalom Consulting have grown to become major corporate supporters of WaterTower Theatre. Paul's strong business acumen will serve us well as he joins our Board."

"This past season WaterTower Theatre continued to experience growth in ticket sales and fundraising not to mention myriad artistic successes that define WaterTower Theatre," said Ben Cunningham, WaterTower Theatre's President-elect. "I'm proud of both the staff and the Board of Directors for their prudent management this past year as well as their willingness to take on new projects. Our new slate of Executive Committee Officers and recently appointed Board members will be important assets to the organization to ensure that our Board continues its work to support the mission of WaterTower Theatre. I'm pleased to welcome Blake and Paul to our Board, and I know they will bring important skills and leadership qualities to an already dynamic group of individuals."

About WaterTower Theatre's President of the Board:

Ben Cunningham is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Capital Bank in Addison. Ben's connection to WaterTower Theatre dates back to the late 70's when it was the Addison Community Theatre and he even served as their Treasurer.

Ben received his undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU in Dallas. He started his banking career in Dallas in 1973. Prior to starting Liberty Capital Bank in 2008 he spent 18-years with Compass Bank as a Line of Business Manager in the Corporate Banking division. He was one of only 2 managers in the Dallas corporate bank to participate in Compass' leadership development program at their home office. Ben became very involved in the North Dallas / Addison area and is past Chairman of the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce and the past president of the Addison Business Association. He's also a 26-year member and past-president of the Carrollton / Farmers Branch Rotary Club where he currently serves as Secretary. In addition to his involvement in the business community, he is also well connected with Trinity Christian Academy where his three children attended and his wife is a language therapist. Ben has been married to Patty Cunningham since 1974. He is active in his church where he's attended for 34 years and has served on the elder board, chairman of the Finance Committee and is presently chairman of the church's defined benefit plan's Board of Trustees. He serves as a mentor to young men in the church and currently works in the Special Needs ministry for kids with a disability. He also helps with the annual deacon development program for new deacons. Ben and his wife are actively involved with the Joni and Friends organization and volunteer their time each summer to serve at JAF's family camp for the disabled. Ben also serves on the local board. Ben is the past Chairman of Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce and a recipient of the Golden Eagle Award, an award -- rarely given to individuals -- who exhibit the highest level of integrity and standing in the community. Ben is also a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. Ben joined the WaterTower Theatre Board of Directors in 2010.

About WaterTower Theatre's Chairman of the Board:

Derek Blount joined the WaterTower Theatre Board of Directors in 2006 and has served in the roles of Board Treasurer, Co-Chair of The Corporate Council, Board Vice President and in September 2010, was elected President of the Board of Directors. He was re-elected as Board President in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Derek is a professional writer and the President of Happy Prince Media, LLC. His background is primarily in corporate finance with roles as Area President at Sovereign Bank as well as corporate lending roles with international banking syndicate Credit Agricole and helping establish the Texas commercial lending operations of CapitalOne Bank. Derek began his banking career with JPMorganChase through completion of their executive training program and later serving as a commercial banking officer.

A Texas native, Derek received both his B.B.A. in Finance and his M.S. in Marketing from Texas A&M University. Derek is an active member of American MENSA, an enthusiastic traveler and an avid runner. He is married to Bethany and they have two sons.

Derek's published works include the holiday book "The Three Christmases of William Spencer". His debut novel, the thriller "Hostile Takeover", was released this fall.

About the New Directors:

Blake Clemens:

Blake Clemens has over 25 years of corporate and executive experience. He has been with Fortune 500 companies, large private companies, and Family owned businesses. He has a degree in Economics from Albion College (Albion, Michigan), and was an elected official having served as the Mayor Pro Tempore of Addison, Deputy Mayor Pro Tempore and Council Member from 2009-2015. He has been married to Jeannie for 21 years and has two sons, Collier & Logan. He is the Chairman of the Addison Legacy Foundation and serves on the Boards of the Metrocrest Chamber and the North Dallas Chamber. He was in charge of mergers and acquisitions for the Dallas branch of the FDIC for six years. He has served as CEO of Crosson Dannis Real Estate Strategies, Senior Vice President of Southfork Development Company as well as senior positions with Bank of America, Travelers Insurance Company among others.

Paul Shultz:

Paul Shultz is General Manager of Slalom Consulting's Dallas practice. He has 38+ years' experience as an executive leader, business strategist, systems integration, and organizational improvement professional.

Before joining Slalom, he served as the managing director of enterprise applications at Protiviti, a global business consulting and internal audit firm. Previously, Paul was the managing vice president of the Southwest market at Hitachi Consulting. He held a number of leadership positions prior to Hitachi Consulting including CIO of Edisto Resources and NRM Energy. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in business administration from Baylor University.

About WaterTower Theatre:

WaterTower Theatre has become a theatrical force through its consistent excellence and sharp programming. Combining Broadway-quality productions with the beauty of an intimate playing space, WTT provides experiences that are powerful and insightful, intense and uplifting. WTT provides the community with an opportunity to examine man's conditions from all perspectives and promotes growth through humor and drama.

WaterTower Theatre is one of the leading regional theatres in North Dallas and Texas. The Company's 2015-2016 Season is its 20th season. It is consistently recognized for its artistic excellence by the Dallas Theatre League, Dallas/Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum, The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer, D Magazine and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, among others. WaterTower Theatre has a subscription base of more than 2,000 subscribers and serves an audience of over 32,000 patrons annually.

A committed and intrepid producer of new work, the theatre has presented five world premiere productions and thirteen regional premiere productions to date. WTT's tradition of world premiere programming includes the musicals Song of Motherhood and Blind Lemon: Prince of Country Blues. Dramatic world premieres include Free Fall with Sandy Duncan, Baptized to the Bone by Dave Johnson (which is enjoying healthy post-WaterTower Theatre life), and A Country Life, Producing Artistic Director Terry Martin's southern adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Both Blind Lemon and A Country Life earned WTT a Dallas Theatre League Leon Rabin Award for Best New Work. WaterTower Theatre will stage the world premiere of the new musical Creep in October 2015.

WTT is privileged to make its home at the Addison Theatre Centre, an award-winning flexible theatre space that can be reconfigured to accommodate each new production. WaterTower's expanding artistic vision, deepening service to the community and growing audiences have led to a unique partnership with the Town of Addison, one aimed at the development of an exciting destination for patrons to experience the best in theatrical and performing arts.

WaterTower Theatre is a Constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, a member of the Dallas Theatre League, and a member of the Addison Business Association.

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