Jay Gerlach Named Executive Director of the Educational Theatre Association

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Jay Gerlach as Executive Director. Gerlach, who has served as Interim Executive Director since March, becomes the eighth executive director in the association’s history, bringing experience as a theatre educator, school administrator, and national association leader to an organization he first joined as a student Thespian at age 14.

Gerlach will also serve as President of the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF), connecting EdTA’s work supporting theatre educators and students with philanthropic efforts to expand access to theatre education.

“Jay brings a wealth of knowledge to EdTA from his lived experiences and background in education and theatre,” said Richard Frazier-Sostillio, President of the EdTA Board of Directors. “Watching him lead during his time as Interim Executive Director has been a privilege, and I am looking forward to the future of our Association under his leadership.”

Frazier-Sostillio said the board unanimously supports Gerlach and his vision for an association guided by student needs and success, with the tools and support educators need to advocate for their programs.

During his interim tenure, Gerlach made listening and community building central to his leadership. Between April and June, he held more than 40 listening sessions with chapter directors, staff, members, board representatives, and other stakeholders. In July, he began implementing solutions to challenges raised by members. He also established a student-led committee that reports directly to the Executive Director, creating a direct channel for International Thespian Society members to help inform organizational decisions.

“Our members and stakeholders should know that Jay is a servant leader who values collaborative, data-driven decision-making,” said Frazier-Sostillio. “Jay is driven by affordability, accessibility, and equity to ensure every young person has an open door to participate and be celebrated in theatre.”

For Gerlach, those priorities begin with a clear commitment to students and the educators who serve them.

“My top priority is, and always will be, kids. Every decision we make should help more young people experience the confidence, creativity, and belonging that theatre provides,” said Gerlach. “To serve students well, we must listen to the educators who serve them every day.”

Gerlach’s priorities include relevant classroom resources, meaningful professional learning, strong advocacy, and initiatives that directly reach teachers and students, including a new printed edition of Dramatics magazine. He said conversations with members have reinforced the importance of an EdTA that is responsive, transparent, accessible, and connected to the daily realities of theatre education.

“I also know that theatre educators are not simply producing plays. They are creating places where students learn discipline, empathy, collaboration, courage, and belonging,” Gerlach said. “My commitment is to lead an organization that respects the full weight and value of that work.”

Gerlach’s relationship with EdTA began as a member and president of International Thespian Society Troupe 2862. He credits his middle and high school theatre teachers with inspiring him to enter the profession, and recalls attending the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska, as a formative experience.

“My drama teachers are the reason I entered this profession. They saw something in me before I could fully see it in myself, and I wanted to become for others exactly what they had been for me,” Gerlach said.

He studied Theatre Education at Illinois State University before beginning his career as a theatre teacher in the New York City public schools. He later served as a drama teacher and Chair of the Drama and Dance Department at Rye Country Day School. At Norwalk Public Schools, his work expanded into school leadership and district administration, with roles in the visual and performing arts, grants, and strategic initiatives.

Gerlach joined EdTA’s executive leadership team in 2025 as Executive Vice President of Membership. He holds an M.A. in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado and a second master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Sacred Heart University.

His concurrent leadership of ETF will support efforts to address barriers to participation through philanthropy and partnerships.

“As Executive Director of EdTA, I can listen to educators and identify where the barriers exist. As President of the Educational Theatre Foundation, I can help mobilize the philanthropic support, partnerships, scholarships, and grants needed to address them,” Gerlach said. “One role helps us understand the need; the other helps us secure the resources to meet it.”

Gerlach’s appointment brings a lifelong connection to theatre education into focus as a vision for EdTA’s future: a more connected association where educators feel heard, students help shape decisions, and access remains a shared priority. “Our members should be able to see themselves, their students, and their needs reflected in the direction of this organization,” Gerlach said. For Frazier-Sostillio, the promise of that leadership is both organizational and personal: “Most importantly, Jay is here for you. On behalf of the EdTA Board of Directors, we could not be more thrilled to introduce our new Executive Director, Jay Gerlach.”