Executive Director Nan Hildebrandt Retires from Geva Theatre Center, 10/16

Nan Hildebrandt, Geva's Executive Director since 2002, will retire on October 16. She will continue to advise the Theatre on a consultancy basis.

Hildebrandt's tenure at Geva spans a decade, joining the company in 1999. Her efforts have led in securing nearly $20 million dollars of federal, state and local grants, corporate and individual donations, keeping Geva fiscally healthy. GeVa Theatre Center thanks Ms. Hildebrandt for her support, and her years of incredible work which have helped to keep the organization at the forefront of Rochester's cultural scene.

With the retirement of Ms. Hildebrandt, and to keep up with the changing face of how not-for-profit organizations are fundraising and soliciting donations, Geva has restructured the department of development within the theatre and welcomes a new team on board.

Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer Greg Weber will oversee the newly restructured department.

A long-time friend of GeVa Theatre Center, Judith Ricker, joins the organization as Annual Fund Officer. Ms. Ricker has spent her career straddling Rochester's arts and business worlds. A graduate of Eastman School of Music, she was a member of the oboe section of the RPO from 1976 - 1991. She earned her MBA from the Simon School of Business and has held a variety of Business Research positions at Eastman Kodak Company. In 1998 she joined the Gordon S. Black Corporation (now Harris Interactive) and recently has left that position to pursue and Independent Strategic Brand and Communications Consulting practice. She remains active in Rochester's music scene and serves on the Boards of Directors for Hochstein School and Mercury Opera Rochester.

Jennifer Galvez Caton joins Geva as Donor Relations/Special Events Coordinator. Ms Caton brings with her eight years of experience in Executive Assistance to some of the West Coast's leading Real Estate developers and Investment Advisors and a decade of experience working as a Satellite Coordinator and Associate Producer with ABC News in New York, Miami and San Francisco. Ms. Galvez Caton is also a licensed Real Estate Associate.

Hope M. Johnson joins Geva as Development Administrator. Ms Johnson is a Rochester native who brings with her administrative experience from the corporate world, most recently from the University of Rochester. She is a graduate of Bryant & Stratton and is currently working on her Bachelor of Business Administration.

"Nan's tenure built a foundation for success at Geva," said Managing Director Greg Weber. "On this foundation Geva has assembled a new staff which will create and execute the architecture necessary to grow the organization beyond our current walls."

For further information, photographs or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Dawn Kellogg, Communications Manager, (585) 232 1366 x 3059

GeVa Theatre Center is Rochester's leading professional theatre and the most attended regional theatre in New York State. Founded in 1972, Geva attracts over 170,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage offers a wide variety of shows, from musicals to American and world classics.

The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva's own series of cutting-edge drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornet's Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. The Nextstage also hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

GeVa Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. For the past fourteen years the organization has been led by Artistic Director Mark Cuddy.