TUTS Welcomes New Chairman of the Board and Board Members

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is pleased to announce the appointment of the new members to the Board of Directors for the 2015/16 season.

"It is a privilege to welcome this group of experienced and accomplished professionals to our board, including our longtime Board member and incoming Chairman of the Board, Amy Pierce" says TUTS' President and CEO, John Breckenridge. "I look forward to the new board members' leadership and support of TUTS' mission as we prepare for another great season. TUTS is proud to stand as a leader in the Houston arts community, and we are excited to have this talented group of individuals to lead us forward."

---

TUTS' 2015/16 Chairman of the Board:

Amy Pierce - Chairman of the Board

Ms. Pierce has been a member of TUTS' Board of Directors since 2005 and has served on the Executive Committee, as well as chaired the Fund Development, Nominating and Education Committees. Pierce co-chaired the annual 2013 TUTS Gala, celebrating TUTS 45th Anniversary, and the 2011 River Celebration. She is a co-founder of the Leading Ladies, TUTS' women's auxiliary organization.

Pierce serves on the Board of Directors for SEARCH Homeless Services and had the honor of serving as co-chair of SEARCH's 2011 Picnic in the Park. In addition, she co-chaired The Women's Fund 2012 Rockin Resiliency Luncheon with Lauren Bush Lauren. In 2013, she co-chaired the 2013 luncheon featuring former Broadway star Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Pierce was a Trustee for Awty International School for two years, and is currently active on the Advancement, and Buildings and Grounds Committees. She also serves on M.D. Anderson's Advance Team, and is involved with Girl Scouts of America, Bear A Resource and St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Pierce and her husband Rob have four children, Kendall, Kyle, Kaitlyn, and Kamren.

The new members of TUTS' Board of Directors for the 2015/16 season include:

Dennis S. Baldwin- Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, Cameron

Mr. Baldwin joined Cameron in March 2014 as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer bringing twenty-nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cameron he was Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of KBR, Inc. Baldwin held the position of Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for Houston-based McDermott International from 2007 to 2010, and prior to that served as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for Integrated Electrical Services and Vice President, Corporate Controller at Houston-based VERITAS, DGC. Baldwin is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Houston and a B.B.A.in Accounting from Sam Houston State University. He has been married to his wife Roselle for 25 years and they have two daughters, Mead and Blair.

Lester Byrd - Vice President, First Southwest Company

Mr. Byrd joined First Southwest Company in November 2013 as a Public Finance Investment Banker, providing underwriting and financial advisory services to various municipalities. From 2012 to 2013, Byrd headed the Houston office for Cabrera Capital Markets' Public Finance department. Prior to this, he also worked as Special Assistant to a Harris County Commissioner for 10 years, after serving 9 ½ years in the United States Marine Corps. Byrd has been married to Angela for 16 years, and enjoys volunteering his time serving on the St. Paul Scholarship Foundation Board, awarding scholarships to college students and graduating high school students of economically challenged backgrounds. He also serves as a member of the Houston Super Bowl LI Host Committee's Community Council.

Dallas Hall - Vice President, Commercial Banker, BB&T

Mr. Hall is a Corporate Banker with BB&T, Branch Banking & Trust. In 2010, he joined that bank through its Leadership Development Program. Since that time, he has helped to develop the BB&T brand in Dallas and Houston, two of the bank's newest markets. Prior to BB&T, Hall was a Financial Analyst at ExpressJet Airlines. Hall earned his Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Texas A&M and his MBA from the University of Georgia. He currently serves as a Sales Team Captain on the Swine Auction Committee for the HLSR and is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Council for the Texas Trucker's Association.

Byron Hebert - Shareholder and Director & Practice Leader of Entrepreneurial Advisory Services for Pannell Kerr Forester of Texas PC (PKFT)

Mr. Hebert manages the consulting division of PKFT, which provides services such as profit enhancement; identification and tracking of key performance indicators; development and streamlining of accounting department procedures; forecasting and budgeting procedures; strategic planning and execution and due diligence for business acquisitions. Hebert has extensive experience in the Manufacturing, Distribution & Logistics, Retail & Wholesale, Professional Services (Attorneys, Architects, Public Relations) Food Services, Real Estate and Construction Industries. Hebert is the Immediate Past Chair for the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and the Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the East End Chamber of Commerce. He received an Engineering degree from Tarleton State University and an Accounting degree from the University of Houston.

Jay Landa - Owner, J Landa Jewelry

Mr. Landa is a custom jewelry designer, business owner and generous member of the Houston philanthropic community. His retail store, J Landa, has been a popular haven for jewelry lovers in the Rice Village for over 16 years. He has worked passionately to bring a level of trust and integrity to his clients and overall business. He is an expert in creating beautiful jewelry designs, styling and setting trends. Landa's knowledge about competitive marketing strategies keeps his clientele clamoring at the doors. With a strong belief in giving back to the community, his company has partnered with nonprofit organizations such as Dress for Success, Legacy Health and Night Court to raise funds for their worthy causes. A lover of animals, he currently serves on the board of directors for Lost Pawes. Jay and his partner Daniel Turner are proud parents of a beautiful frenchie named Moe.

Karin Marshall- Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Wells Fargo Insurance

Ms. Marshall is responsible for leading and managing the operations of the Houston and San Antonio offices. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Marshall was SVP and Manager of BBVA Compass Insurance and she also served as the national sales Manager for BBVA Compass Insurance from 2002-2009. Marshall earned a Bachelor in Business Administration from Marshall University and currently holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. She serves on the advisory board of the Miller Outdoor Theatre, is a member of the Society of Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters, River Oaks Business Women's Exchange Club, Bayou City Road Runners Club and volunteers her time to various non-profit organizations in the community. Originally from West Virginia, Marshall now resides in Houston with her husband.

Harry McMahan- Vice President, Frost Bank

Mr. McMahan serves as Vice President with Frost Bank. He works with small and mid-sized companies providing the thought-based, comprehensive solutions to their financial needs. He also facilitates new client relationships, community outreach, and serves as the face of Frost in the Downtown community. He is a graduate of Texas A&M and has served in leadership capacities for The Reveille Club and The Houston A&M Club. McMahan currently serves as Board President of Fresh Arts, a small business development center to local, independent and emerging artists and small to mid-size arts organizations. He also teaches a weekly beginner yoga class at Heights School of Yoga. Married to Arielle, an artist, dancer, group fitness instructor and health coach; they reside in Houston's First Ward.

Stacy Russell - Senior Director and Manager, Litigation Group, Halliburton

Ms. Russell is senior director and manager of Halliburton's litigation group. She manages a group of attorneys who handle all litigation matters for Halliburton from personal injury to complex commercial disputes. Prior to joining Halliburton, Russell was a partner in Kelly Hart & Hallman's litigation group. Previously, she specialized in the fields of commercial litigation, internal investigations and energy litigation at two New York law firms. A graduate of the University of Houston College of Law and University of Texas-Austin, Russell is a member of the Texas Bar Foundation, State Bar of Texas and Association of Corporate Counsel.

Adrian Shelley- Treasurer, Swift Energy

Mr. Shelley has served as Treasurer for Swift Energy Companies for the past 25 years. He currently serves on the Greenspoint Club and previously served on the boards for Texas Impact, Financial Executives International and the Southern Nights Dance Club. Shelley graduated from the University of North Carolina and received his MBA from Louisiana State University.

John Tobola - Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Freeport LNG

Mr. Tobola has been General Counsel of Freeport LNG Development, L.P. since 2006 and serves as its Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary. Tobola also served as Vice President of Freeport LNG Development, L.P. He has extensive experience with a broad range of complex commercial transactions, having represented domestic and international public and private clients in mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, financings, corporate governance and other transactional matters. From 2005 to 2006, Tobola served as Senior in-House Counsel of Quanta Services, Inc., responsible for Quanta's acquisition, securities and financing activities. Prior to joining Quanta, he practiced law in the corporate department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Tobola earned his undergraduate degree from Trinity University and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas.

ADVISORY BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Erin McCarthy - Private Client Advisor, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank

Ms. McCarthy is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and received her MBA from University of Texas - Austin. She previously worked for Greenberg Traurig, LLP as Marketing and Recruiting Coordinator and has been with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank for the past six years. New to the city of Houston, McCarthy currently volunteers with VICTORY, a branch of the American Cancer Society, which is a special group of outstanding women dedicated to raising funds to help the fight against cancer.

Toni Tate - Community Leader

Ms. Tate is a strong supporter of TUTS, with a special interest in The River. She chaired the Underwriting Committee for the 2012 River gala and was recognized in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) "Man & Woman of the Year" fundraising extravaganza in 2011, which raises funds for blood cancer research.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - CLASS 2015 - ELECTED JANUARY

Jorge Leis- Managing Director, Bain & Company

Mr. Leis leads Bain's Oil & Gas practice in the Americas. With more than 20 years of experience advising top business leaders across a number of industries, Leis joined Bain in 1990 and was elected to partnership in 1995. He helped found Bain's Dallas office (1990) and later the Houston office (2010), where he served as the office's managing director. He has helped numerous clients achieve significant shareholder returns by improving strategic and financial position, achieving operational excellence, and maximizing organizational effectiveness. Prior to working at Bain, Leis worked in emerging technologies in the chemical processing industries and began his career with Shell Oil Company. Leis has worked extensively in the oil and gas industry across a broad array of industry segments including oil field services and equipment, exploration & production, refining & marketing and retail. His consulting experience spans a number of functional areas, including corporate and business unit strategy, organizational design and effectiveness, customer, supplier and supply chain management, new product development, marketing, mergers & acquisitions, and post-acquisition integration. Leis is a graduate of Arizona State University where he received a BS in engineering, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

---

A non-profit based in Houston, Texas, TUTS offers a world-class musical theatre experience that ranges from full-scale Broadway productions to educational initiatives that extend beyond the stage and into the community -- for actors and aficionados of all ages and abilities. TUTS performs annually in Sarofim Hall and Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center and at Miller Outdoor Theatre. TUTS began performing at Miller Outdoor Theatre in 1968, and is the only arts organization to perform at Miller every year since then. Founded by Frank M. Young and currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge and Artistic Director Bruce Lumpkin, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres. Through its membership in the Independent Presenters Network, TUTS regularly helps mount shows on Broadway which eventually show locally to Houston audiences.

In support of TUTS' mission, TUTS' Education & Community Engagement programs provide year-round instruction and stage experience. The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) offers technique-driven classes for all ability levels and ages. Through The River Performing and Visual Arts Center (The River), TUTS provides an accessible and inclusive arts education for individuals of all abilities. TUTS Education & Community Engagement provides extended on-site programming as well as off-site programming for children in schools, hospitals and other community-based sites. TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

To post a comment, you must register and login.