Tobin Center for the Performing Arts Adds Three to Staff

Three key positions at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts have been filled. Michael J. Fresher, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Tobin Center made the announcement.

The Tobin Center is owned and operated by the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation and will open September 2014, featuring the 1,750-seat H-E-B Performance Hall, a 230-seat Studio Theater and a 600-seat outdoor performance plaza at Riverwalk entrance.

John "Jack" Freeman is joining The Tobin Center as Director of Facility Operations, Aren Murray serves as Director of Ticketing and TOBiServices and Aaron L. Zimmerman will become Director of Booking and Programming.

Freeman worked in Hartford, CT with Bushnell Management Services and with Madison Square Garden - Connecticut in the physical operation of multiple public and live entertainment venues, including arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters and performance halls.

He has more than 30 years of experience in construction, pre-opening and launch operations; subcontractor and vendor management; data and audiovisual operations and communications; emergency management plans and risk assessment; development and management of capital improvement projects; and the design and implementation of operational and preventative maintenance programs.

"I worked closely with Jack for 15 years at both the Bushnell and MSG-Connecticut," Fresher said. "He brings tremendous experience and judgment to us at The Tobin Center, where he will be in charge of the physical plant in all its aspects, including the completion of construction."

Before joining The Tobin Center, Murray spent 13 years managing ticketing at Texas A&M University, and oversaw more than 250 events annually. She is taking on that same role at The Tobin Center, including the direction of its proprietary TOBiticketing and customer resource management system which will manage all ticketing and customer data bases for events at the new performing arts center.

She is a board member of INTIX, the international ticketing association which is the primary industry group for entertainment ticketing. At Texas A&M, she was the administrative lead for a one-of-a-kind centralized university arts box office.

"Our TOBi system is very robust and will enable us to manage all ticketing functions," Fresher said, "and it requires a highly experienced professional to maximize its effectiveness. Aren has been recognized in the industry through her board position on INTIX and also served as Chair of the 2012 INTIX annual conference which was held in San Antonio."

Zimmerman comes to The Tobin Center from BB&T Center in Sunrise, FL, where he served as Executive Director for Event Programming for the 19,000-seat arena which is home to the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League and dozens of concerts and other shows annually.

In his career, he has served as booking consultant for Westchester Media in White Plains, NY; Director of Programming for the Straz Center for Performing Arts in Tampa; Director of Programming for the Arsht Center for Performing Arts in Miami; and Programming Manager/Talent Buyer for JAM Theatricals in Chicago.

"Aaron has great experience in booking and brings a great network of contacts among promoters and talent agents around the country," Fresher said. "He is one of the founders of The Independent Presenters' Concert Network (TIPCON), a national consortium of performing arts centers which book and promote commercial acts throughout North America. For The Tobin Center, he will be in charge of the day-to-day activities of booking and programming the entertainment we will present."

Pictured: Jack Freeman

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