NextStop Theatre Announces New Leadership Team Members

NextStop Theatre Company is proud to officially announce the appointment of four exceptional professionals to the company's leadership team. Among the new appointments are Vicki Kile as the company's new Executive Director, Tomoko Azuma as the Director of Development, Melody Fetske as the next President of the Board of Directors, and Hoori Ahdieh as Board Vice President.

"On behalf of everyone at NextStop, I am so excited to welcome these four remarkable women into their new positions" said Producing Artistic Director, Evan Hoffmann. "I am both humbled and invigorated by the opportunity to work alongside each of them, as we begin to emerge from the challenges of the past 18 months and imagine a stronger and brighter future for both NextStop and our community."

In a clear demonstration of NextStop's passion and eagerness to fully reignite their work in and service to the Dulles Corridor community, all four women were appointed to their respective positions in early October and have actively begun their work on behalf of the organization.

Like virtually every theatre and arts organization in the country, NextStop navigated a particularly difficult path through the pandemic after closing their doors on March 12, 2020. After an array of virtual and outdoor performance events during the pandemic, NextStop first returned to in-door performances in June of 2021 with "White Rabbit Red Rabbit" by Nassim Solemanpour. Over the summer, they announced an ambitious Fall theatrical season. However, much of the season was postponed in mid-August due to the resurgence of Delta variant Covid-19 cases.

Having once again adapted to rapidly changing conditions, NextStop is currently producing "The Turn of the Screw," the second of a revised four season "mini season," featuring small-cast productions with strictly enforced health and safety policies. With the support of the new leadership team, NextStop hopes to announce new production, education, and community engagement plans for 2022, before the end of the year.

As Executive Director, Vicki Kile will work alongside Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann in a shared leadership model to help guide all administrative and programmatic activities of the organization. Ms. Kile brings more than 30 years of work and experience in financial management, project management, and strategic planning. She most recently served as a Vice President within the Finance Division of Freddie Mac. Ms. Kile has also served for the past six years on the NextStop Board of Directors, including multiple terms as Board President. She stepped down from her position on the board in order to take on this executive staff position. Ms. Kile is excited to use her corporate skills to strengthen the infrastructure that supports NextStop's vital service to the community.

An experienced arts management and fundraising professional with over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit field, Tomoko Azuma is delighted to join the staff at NextStop Theatre Company. She brings knowledge, experience, and skills from her previous roles at the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, where, as Executive Director, she helped create, systematize, and implement a successful development plan for the organization. Her experience also encompasses artistic operations and administration, finance and budget management, membership recruitment, and event planning. Ms. Azuma has served as a grant reviewer for various arts commissions and councils in the Washington Metropolitan area, and served locally in Herndon as a Board member and volunteer at small nonprofit organizations.

Newly elected Board President Melody Fetske is the former CFO of Folger Shakespeare Library, from which she retired in 2019. Using her experience in retirement to make meaningful contributions to the community and other non-profits, she currently is serving as the Financial Advisor for the Shakespeare Association of America and as a board member of the Town of Herndon's Architectural Review and Historic District Review Boards. Melody maintains an active CPA, CGMA certification and often advises on accounting, organizational and non-profit issues. Melody has set two goals for her term as president, to advance the organization's equity, diversity, and inclusion work to a concrete action plan and incorporate this into a strategic plan as the company re-imagines itself coming out of the pandemic restrictions.

Newly elected Board Vice President Hoori Ahdieh brings an impactful and diverse background as an accomplished corporate professional in the financial services, education and IT sectors. She has an extensive career in management consulting, program/project management, strategic analysis, advisory, and process improvement with numerous corporate and non-profit organizations in the DC area. Hoori is deeply committed to advocating for and upholding social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in her professional and personal life experiences. She feels privileged to have represented NextStop in diversity training workshops with DC area theater companies this year, and is eager to bring her voice and skills to cultivate a welcoming culture of inclusion and equity at NextStop. She is also a staunch creative and arts advocate, and a proud parent of two accomplished young adults in the music and performing arts.

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