Charleston Gaillard Center Welcomes Lissa Frenkel as New Chief Executive Officer

Today the Charleston Gaillard Center announced Lissa Frenkel as its new chief executive officer. She will begin her new role in July 2021.

Most recently, Frenkel served as managing director of the Park Avenue Armory, a premier cultural institution producing and commissioning unconventional works in the performing and visual arts in Manhattan. During her tenure with the Armory, she was instrumental in building its operating budget from $6 million to $27 million and in leading the $165 million in capital redevelopment projects that invested in the adaptive reuse and restoration of the building.

"I look forward to building on the Gaillard Center's successes and leading the Charleston Gaillard Center team to expand the institution's identity as a world-class innovator in the performing arts in the region. I am thrilled to be joining such a culturally adventurous community in Charleston and at the prospect of partnering with both the Gaillard's resident companies and collaborators and the broader Charleston community as a conduit for artistic expression and conversation in the city. Working closely with the Gaillard Performance Hall Foundation, I am delighted to support Charleston's long-term commitment to the arts," said Frenkel.

Prior to the Armory, Frenkel worked at the Lincoln Center Development Project, a $500 million cultural redevelopment of the Lincoln Center complex in Manhattan that included the expansion of The Julliard School, Alice Tully Hall and multiple public spaces.

Originally from Boston, Frenkel earned her undergraduate degree in art history from Emory University and her master's degree in urban planning from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

The Charleston Gaillard Center opened in 2015 after a $142 million renovation. With a design echoing the tradition of Europe's renowned opera houses, the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall features superb acoustics, meticulously integrated in the design, construction and furnishings. With a capacity to seat 1,818, the hall features a 65-musician orchestra pit, nine dressing rooms, six certified sensory-inclusive areas and has programmed Broadway shows, musicians, authors, comedians and performance artists ranging from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Charleston Jazz Festival to Keb' Mo', Renee Fleming and Tony Bennett.

In addition to the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall, The Charleston Gaillard Center features a 13,137-square-foot Grand Ballroom, an expansive 8,587-square-foot terrace lawn and a variety of pre-function spaces, complete with a full-service, on-site catering team. Throughout the years, The Charleston Gaillard Center has hosted many notable cultural, political and corporate events, including the 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party presidential debates, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, South Carolina International Trade Conference and Benefitfocus' One Place conference.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce the selection of Ms. Lissa Frenkel as the next CEO of the Charleston Gaillard Center. Lissa brings a wealth of leadership experience in the performing arts, having served most recently as the Managing Director of the Park Avenue Armory since 2013. The entire Gaillard team looks forward to working with her to take the Gaillard to its next level of excellence in service to the entire Charleston community. I also want thank Steve Bedard for his outstanding leadership in putting the Gaillard on the sound financial and operational footing that Lissa can now build upon." - Charles Way, Jr., Chairman, Charleston Gaillard Center

"The Performance Hall Foundation is eager to introduce Lissa Frenkel to our community of supporters and patrons and to engage the excitement we feel for the future of the Charleston Gaillard Center under her skilled leadership. She knows well the difference made by the quality of a facility whose visionary promise first inspired our community to build it. Combined with her experience in artistic and educational programming, her work with donors and her deep understanding of the importance of arts and culture, her presence will resonate with the citizens of the Lowcountry who contribute so much to Charleston's reputation as a City of the Arts." - Renée D. Anderson, Ph.D., President & CEO, Vice Chairman, Gaillard Performance Hall Foundation

"We are thrilled to have a leader and visionary of Ms. Frenkel's caliber accept our invitation to serve as the Charleston Gaillard Center's new CEO. Her experience and dynamic leadership style will help advance the Gaillard's programs and elevate its cultural impact. We are excited about the Gaillard's future and look forward to welcoming Ms. Frenkel to the Lowcountry and working with her in the future." - Helen Hill, CEO, Explore Charleston

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