deadCENTER Film Festival Names New Executive Director

The deadCENTER Film Festival has hired Oklahoma City native Lissa Gumerson-Blaschke to lead the organization as its new executive director.

Blaschke attended Casady School and The University of Oklahoma, and has several years of development and foundation management experience. She served as director of development and executive director for the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation before moving to Albuquerque. In Albuquerque, Blaschke served as director of development for the Albuquerque Community Foundation, St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, Esquela del Sol Montessori and the Harwood Art Center.

"Our Board has chosen the perfect person to lead deadCENTER for our next phase," former executive director Lance McDaniel said. "After five years of explosive growth, we need an executive director to secure our long-term financial stability and further develop our relationship with the statewide business community. Lissa has the experience and business savvy to make that happen."

McDaniel will continue serving the organization as the artistic director, creating new education opportunities for working film professionals and expanding the reach of the statewide education program.

The deadCENTER Film Festival is Oklahoma's largest film festival, attracting 30,000 people to their annual film festival each June and reaching 3,000 students each fall through their statewide education program that won the 2014 Governor's Arts Award.

The festival is named for its geographic location in the center of the U.S. and in the downtown center of Oklahoma City in central Oklahoma. DCFF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, providing year-round events to support its mission to promote, encourage and celebrate the independent film arts.

For more information, visit www.deadcenterfilm.org.

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