Staff

League Names KEN STEIN as Executive Director

April 23, 2012 - After a thorough national search, the Board of Directors for the League of Historic American Theatres has named Ken Stein as the organization's Executive Director. Stein, former Executive Director of the Austin Theatre Alliance and more recently Vice President at the AT&T Center in Dallas, will start in the position effective Monday, April 23 and will meet with the Board at their next meeting in Minneapolis.

"When I left the Paramount and State Theatres last year, it was with a very heavy heart, but I knew I would eventually find my way back to the historic theatre movement, a cause I am very passionate about," says Stein referring to his relocation from Austin, Texas to Dallas for family reasons. Many League members may be familiar with Stein from his presentations at the Annual League Conferences in Cleveland and San Antonio.

“The search for a new Executive Director was extensive but in the end Ken was the unanimous choice of the Board,” says Don Telford, Board President. “We are excited to have his experience and enthusiasm moving forward.”

Stein has worked with several non-profits over the past 20 years. He began his career in the for-profit sector with Humana Inc. where he spent 5 years as Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Since entering the non-profit arena, Stein has raised over $100 million for local, regional, and national non-profit organizations.

His accomplishments with special events and on-line fundraising have been featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The NonProfit Times, InternetWeek.com, Business Week Online and Direct Marketing News. In 2008, Stein was recognized for his use of social media platforms by Fast Company Magazine which listed him as one of the most influential people on the internet during the 2008 elections. His writing has been positively reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post and Atlantic Monthly Magazine.

“I am very excited to step in and build upon the great work that has already been accomplished by the League’s leadership team.” says Stein. “I hope that my time managing historic theatres and my years in fundraising will make me an effective resource for League members. I can’t wait to get started and look forward to seeing everyone at the Annual Conference in San Diego in July.”

The Board wishes to recognize Margaret Genovese of Genovese Vanderhoof and Associates for her generous and valued assistance, support and guidance provided to the Search Committee, chaired by John Bell, and its members Jeffrey Gabel, Margaret Lake, Don Telford, and Kelly Updike.

Director of Membership Services

Colleen Poehlman

tel: 443.640.1058 x124; Email Colleen

Since joining the League's staff in August 1998, Colleen has been primarily responsible for membership recruitment and retention through developing and implementing programs to deliver a variety of services to LHAT members. She markets and coordinates registration for events, manages and develops content for the League's online and print communications and resources, and administers the League's database and online member directory.

For a year prior to joining the League, Colleen facilitated set-up of, acquired licensing for, and subsequently operated a new assisted living facility for the elderly. Her previous experiences include: working for a commercial real estate development and property management company, handling tenant relations and leasing commercial office space; running the operations of a residential construction company; and managing a law office and real estate title company.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Colleen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 from Loyola College in Maryland, with a major in History and a minor in Business.

Membership Services Coordinator

Tisha Shelden

tel: 443.640.1058 x125; Email Tisha

A member of LHAT since 1987, Tisha served as a Regional Representative for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for several years and Board Member from 1995-2001, chairing the Membership Committee. In 2002, Tisha join the League's staff, working part-time from her home office in Lakeland, FL.

Her historic theatre background dates to 1984, when she joined a group working to save and restore the 1,400 seat, atmospheric-style Polk Theatre in Lakeland, FL. Over her ten-year involvement with the project, she served as the Owner's Representative during most of the theatre's restoration, then as Membership Committee chair for the Board of Trustees, and finally as the theatre's manager.

As a member of Historic Lakeland, Inc., a local preservation organization, Tisha has been involved in successful battles to save the city's historic high school building, Coca Cola bottling plan, Terrace Hotel, and New Florida Hotel from demolition.

Tisha received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, VA, with a major in biology. She also studied art history and political science for a year at the University of Reading in Reading, England.