<p>May 10, 2012, Utica, NY— The Stanley Theater announced today the departure of its Executive Director, Joel McKissick, at the end of this month. While Mr. McKissick was only at The Stanley for fourteen months, the impact of his tenure will be lasting. He not only stabilized the theatre after the $21M renovation, but also he set a course for a better future by dramatically cutting costs, diversifying the programming, and hiring experienced professionals in key positions. </p><p>“There are so many plans in the works, great things, and a great fall schedule, that I am confident The Stanley is on its way to returning to the important position it once served in the community,” said McKissick, who is leaving to be the Operations Director for the Visual & Performing Arts Department at LeMoyne College. </p><p>“We are saddened that Joel is departing, and at the same time we are happy for him,” said Steve Zogby, President of The Stanley Board of Directors. “He did a lot in a short period of time to help the theatre, and we are definitely moving in the right direction.” </p><p>McKissick, originally hired as the Director of Operations, was promoted to Executive Director after three months. His first order of business was to examine and cut costs. Mr. McKissick reduced staffing expenses by $100K annually, identified and eliminated programming that was unprofitable, and secured a large grant from The Community Foundation that was vital to on-going operations. In terms of programming, he introduced promoters who had never presented at The Stanley and reintroduced promoters who had not presented since the renovations. </p><p>“There were many hard decisions that had to be made to put The Stanley on the path to viability,” stated Mr. McKissick. “I hope that what I’ve done has put the organization in a position to succeed in the future.”</p><p>Mr. McKissick made three important hires for the theatre in development, marketing, and the box office. </p><p><strong>Anne Van Strander</strong></p><p>Mrs. Van Strander is Director of Institutional Advancement at The Stanley. She formerly served as Director of Community Development for The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, was staff liaison to the Friends of the Arc Foundation, and an active member of the state wide NYSARC Public Information Committee. Mrs. Van Strander, who is well known within the community for her work with non-profit organizations, brings over 20 years experience in fund development, membership campaigns, volunteer coordination, and special event planning to her new position at The Stanley. She joined the theatre at the end of January this year. Since arriving, she revamped the membership program, folding in other development programs, such as naming a seat and signage opportunities (lobby panels and marquee), to create a strong and meaningful membership that is valuable to both individuals and businesses. </p><p><strong>Francesca Dunlevy</strong></p><p>Ms. Dunlevy runs the Marketing and Communications for The Stanley. She has over 20 years experience and owns her own company, Ekco Corporate Communications. She is a contract employee of the theatre. Ms. Dunlevy has a strong background working with small, mid-size and Fortune 500 profit, non-profit, private and pubic companies that came from working at large NY advertising agencies, such as Ogilvy & Mather, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Grey, to name a few. A Utica native and graduate of New Hartford High School, Ms. Dunlevy recently relocated back to the area. She joined The Stanley in February of this year. Since coming to the theatre, she fielded research to identify issues and opportunities, collaborated with Mrs. Van Strander on the development and launch of the new membership program, and identified alternative revenue streams for the theatre, some of which has been set into motion with the re-launch of the Web site and the e-commerce capabilities.</p><p><strong>Monica Price</strong></p><p>Mrs. Price is the Box Office Manager. Formerly the Box Office Manager for Turning Stone Resort & Casino, she served on the casino’s PGA Committee and has worked with non-profit organizations, such as Glimmerglass Opera. Mrs. Price brings thirteen years of experience in management, ticketing, volunteer coordination, marketing, and group sales to The Stanley. Mrs. Price, who is a Utica native, developed and launched a new group sales program, developed high standards for customer service, and hired two new staff members due to an increase in business since her arrival in July of 2011.</p><p> </p><p><strong>About The Stanley</strong></p><p>Originally built as a movie theatre, The Stanley opened its doors in 1928 with 2,963 seats, a grand entry staircase that resembles the main staircase on the Titanic, a gold leaf interior, and a terra cotta and tiled mosaic exterior. It has been bringing the community together for nearly a century with live concerts, Broadway shows, ballets, the symphony, graduations, and recitals. Today The Stanley operates as a non-profit entity. In 2006, through grants and donations, the theatre underwent a $20 million renovation that expanded the facility giving it a larger backstage space and catering capabilities for conferences and events. More information is online at <a href="http://www.TheStanley.org">www.TheStanley.org</a>.</p>
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