Executive Producer Christine Leslie Will Retire From Peninsula Lively Arts

Peninsula Lively Arts has announced the retirement of its CEO and Executive Producer, Christine Leslie, effective Friday, October 25, 2024. Ms. Leslie leaves a profound legacy of creativity, vision, and dedication to the performing arts community after an illustrious decades-long career with the organization, originally founded in 1967 as Peninsula Ballet Theatre.

Coinciding with today’s news of Christine Leslie’s retirement, Peninsula Lively Arts announced the immediate appointment of two renowned arts industry leaders, Debbie Chinn and Jonathan Moscone, who will serve as interim executive director and producing consultant, respectively, during the transition while leading the search for a new CEO/Executive Producer.

Christine Leslie said, "As I step down from my time here, I am struck by how quickly the years have gone. My association with Peninsula Ballet Theatre began some 44 years ago when I started as a student in the school - later dancing with the company - returning as a volunteer, joined the board and finally as executive producing director, a position I have held for the past 25 years. I have always believed that a strong performing arts organization deserves fresh new leadership after so much time and because I now need to focus my attention on family matters, it is my honor to pass the baton to the next generation of leadership. I am delighted to share that the organization’s many successful performance and dance instruction programs will continue uninterrupted.”

Christine Leslie continued “I am very proud of the great efforts by a team of dedicated Board members, artists, teachers, staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to bring such a rich diversity of training and professional productions to the greater Peninsula region. I especially want to acknowledge and thank our enthusiastic audiences who have enjoyed our performances in venues throughout the Bay Area, enrolled their children – and themselves - in our excellent dance classes, and have always been there to warmly welcome us into their lives each season.”

“While I will miss being a part of this remarkable organization, I am confident Peninsula Lively Arts will continue to thrive under new leadership, bringing joy and inspiration to audiences for years to come,” commented Ms. Leslie. “To help us achieve that, the Board has enlisted the services of Debbie Chinn and Jonathan Moscone, two proven leaders in the arts industry, who will serve as interim executive director and consulting producer - working with our existing artistic partners - while leading the search for a new fulltime CEO/Executive Producer.”

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we extend our deepest gratitude to Christine Leslie for her exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication, and profound impact on Peninsula Lively Arts," said Board Chair Connie Desautels. "Christine’s passion for the arts, tireless advocacy, and commitment to excellence have been instrumental in shaping our organization into what it is today. We are immensely grateful for her contributions and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement."

Under Christine Leslie's dynamic leadership, Peninsula Lively Arts has flourished as a trusted producer of cultural enrichment, presenting diverse and compelling performances that have captivated audiences across San Mateo County and beyond. Throughout her tenure, Christine Leslie has demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate challenges, foster creativity, and cultivate meaningful relationships within the arts and business community. Her leadership established collaborations that ensured successful productions, educational initiatives, and community outreach programs that resonated with individuals throughout the Peninsula.

During the difficult days of the pandemic, when many not-for-profit organizations scaled back programming or closed, Christine Leslie launched the rebranding of Peninsula Ballet Theatre as Peninsula Lively Arts, a producing organization that more accurately reflected the programming interests of an evolving and culturally diverse community. As a result, Peninsula Lively Arts now presents performances by Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Gregory Amato Artistic Director; Peninsula Hip-Hop Productions, Stuck Sanders, Artistic Director; Peninsula Broadway Productions, Gary Stanford, Artistic Director; the Peninsula International Dance Festival; and the Peninsula School of the Performing Arts, a robust wing of the organization offering weekly instruction for children to adults, in a variety of dance styles, in the organization’s five studios.

Ms. Leslie’s professional career reflects a unique blend of performing arts experience and business management. She has been associated with Peninsula Ballet Theatre for over 40 years, beginning in 1979, as a student and then performing with the professional company coupled with appearances with local musical theater productions. She served as member of the PBT Board of Trustees including board president. In addition to a degree in Journalism and a Masters in Mass Communications, Leslie earned her Executive MBA in International Business from the University of San Francisco. After working for 25 years managing economic development, sales, and marketing programs in the high-tech industry, Christine was appointed in 2008 the full time CEO/Executive Producing Director of Peninsula Ballet Theatre.

As Peninsula Lively Arts bids farewell to a visionary leader, the organization remains steadfast in its commitment to celebrating the transformative power of the performing arts and fostering creativity, connection, and cultural enrichment within the community.

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