Hartford, CT, June 11, 2018 – Hartford Stage, under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts, announce the election of David R. Jimenez as Board President during its Annual Meeting on Monday, June 4.  He succeeds Sue Ann Collins, whose term concluded after three years. 

David R. Jimenez is a Hartford-based principal with the law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. He is national co-chair of the firm’s Corporate Governance and Internal Investigations Practice Group and represents corporate organizations and their boards on a variety of compliance, governance and legal matters. He also provides training on various topics to human resources and management groups. Additionally, Jimenez serves on the board of trustees of the Mark Twain House and Museum and was appointed by Governor Dannel P. Malloy to serve on the Board of Regents for the Connecticut State University and Community College System. In 2017, Jimenez also received a gubernatorial appointment to serve on the Connecticut Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth. Jimenez previously served as Hartford Stage Board Secretary and as Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

New officers elected include John L. Sennott, Jr., Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alleghany Corporation, as Vice President; he previously served as Treasurer. Devon C. Francis, Senior Consultant at Fiduciary Investment Advisors, LLC, was elected as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. Michael D. Nicastro, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Continuity in New Haven, was elected Secretary.

“I look forward to working with David Jimenez as our Board president. He follows in a long line of strong Board leaders for our company who value our artistry and recognize the importance that theatre plays in our lives,” said Michael Stotts, Managing Director of Hartford Stage. “He is a champion of all things Hartford, and I know that he will be an effective leader in guiding the company through the opportunities and challenges of the next few years.”

“It is my honor to serve as Board President for Hartford Stage. I am grateful for this privilege and for the trust placed in me by my fellow board members,” David Jimenez said. “Hartford Stage is not only a magnificent, producing theatre with several Tony Awards to its credit –it is, in my view, Connecticut’s arts and culture crown jewel.  Excellent theatre excites, illuminates, and provokes the mind; and all of us in the Greater Hartford area are fortunate to have this institution right here in our midst.  After ten years on the board, I am tremendously excited to serve in this new board role and to work alongside Michael Stotts and Darko Tresnjak.”

Kelly Lyman, Superintendent of Manchester Public Schools, was newly-elected to the Hartford Stage Governing Board of Directors. Lyman has been a school administrator for more than 20 years. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education, where she teaches prospective school leaders.

Individuals returning to the Governing Board after having served as Honorary board members are Kimberley L. Byrd, Chief Operating Officer and founding partner of Tennant Risk Services, a wholesale insurance broker recently purchased by Worldwide Facilities, and Richard G. Costello, a consultant with The Hartford. Costello also leads 50 Church Street Productions, which produces theatrical shows in New York.

Long-time board members George A. Ingram and Roger Loeb were elected as Life Directors.

George A. Ingram has been on the Hartford Stage board since 1986. He has served in multiple capacities on the Finance, Investment and Executive Committee and co-chaired the Act Now for the Future Campaign at Hartford Stage, which raised $11 million for the theatre in 2010. He is a retired CPA from Price Waterhouse Cooper.

Roger Loeb has been on the Hartford Stage board since 1995. He has served in multiple capacities on the Finance and Investment Committees throughout his tenure. He is the Chairman of Allan S. Goodman, Inc., a wholesale wine and spirits business, which has supported Hartford Stage for decades.

In addition, Hartford Stage appointed four new members to Stage One, the young professional leadership arm of the Governing Board. They are Alana Curren, Jarret Eamiello, Brendan Howes, and Lawrence Young.

Alana Curren is an independent Brand Strategist and Public Relations Director for AMC Public Relations, supporting complex strategic initiatives for early to mid-stage technology and product start-ups.

Jarret Eamiello is Vice President of USI Insurance Services. With a background in Environmental Health and Safety, Eamiello specializes in commercial insurance for industrial companies.

Brendan Howes is Senior Consultant, Vendor Management and 3rd Party Data, Personal Lines Finance for Travelers, where he researches and matches vendor products to business needs by managing pilots, proofs-of-concepts and information security reviews. Howes is also an active member of the Personal Lines competitor analysis team.

Lawrence Young is a Community Engagement & Research Coordinator for The Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity at Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford, where he researches and leads a community outreach initiative focusing on the use of primary care among African-American men.