Bay Street Announces Additional Trustees: Joy Behar, Erik Batt & More

Bay Street Theatre today announced four new members to the Board of Trustees: Erik Batt, Joy Behar, Mariann Florio, and Jane Holden.

"To add the additional talent and integrity of these four new board members," says Artistic Directors Sybil Christopher and Murphy Davis, "is a terrific privilege and a great help to our theatre!"

"We are thrilled to welcome our new board members," says Executive Director Tracy Mitchell. "We are so fortunate to have them add their expertise and commitment to Bay Street."

Erik Batt is a public relations professional with an illustrious career in the entertainment industry. His publicity work includes in-house stints at HBO and recently as the Director of Publicity for IFC. Career highlights include TV campaigns for HBO's "Sex in the City," "The Laramie Project," "Angels in America," and an award-winning PR campaign for the IFC documentary, "Monty Python: Almost the Truth," and the historic Python 40th anniversary reunion. Prior to his career in TV, Batt worked for Henderson and Hogan, a talent agency with a strong focus on theater. He is currently active as an Ambassador for The Miracle Foundation, a charity dedicated to empowering orphans. Batt and his partner lived in East Hampton for thirteen years before becoming proud residents of Sag Harbor. Like the waterfront itself, Batt believes Bay Street is the heart and soul of Sag Harbor village.

Daytime Emmy® Award-winner Joy Behar is the host of "The Joy Behar Show" on HLN which features newsworthy guests and examines today's water cooler issues, from pop culture to politics and everything in between. She is also one of the hosts for ABC's "The View," and is among today's leading comic talents. In addition to becoming a new Board member for Bay Street, Behar is also the 2011 Campaign Chair for the Annual Appeal fundraising drive. She headlined her own HBO special and was a regular on the series "Baby Boom." In theater she had a successful run in the off-Broadway hit "The Food Chain," earning rave reviews in the starring role, and also in the critically-acclaimed "The Vagina Monologues."

Mariann Florio has spent years of service as a volunteer. As past President of the Junior League of Long Island, she lobbied for Children's and Women's rights. She was also active in Habitat for Humanity as well as One in Nine, where she was honored for her work in lobbying for a survey to help find the hot spots for breast cancer on Long Island. For 13 years Florio worked with Involvement Theatre, a program for children with disabilities across Long Island. Other organizations include New Kids on the Block program; CAPS (Child Preventative Services), which was honored by the State of New York; North Shore Child and Family Guidance; American Red Cross; and she Co-chaired the Fresh Air Fund Gala for five years with Tommy Hilfiger and her husband, the late Steven T. Florio, past President and CEO of Conde Nast Publications.

Jane Holden is a Senior Director at Brown Harris Stevens and was the 2010 Broker of the Year for the Sag Harbor Office. She is a lifelong resident of Sag Harbor and active community member. She has been a successful real estate agent since 1982 and credits that success to being such an integral part of the fabric of Sag Harbor. Holden's years in real estate have given her an extensive breadth of knowledge of the nuances and intricacies of Sag Harbor, as well as its outlying hamlets. Throughout her extensive real estate career, Holden has received the accolade of Top Producing Agent numerous times - an award well earned, well honored and much deserved for her work ethic and dedication. Holden has been a long time supporter of Bay Street, and served as this year's Chairperson of the Patron's Committee.

Bay Street Theatre is a not-for-profit institution presenting new, classic and contemporary works with a commitment to challenging and entertaining our diverse community. This commitment extends to educational programs for all ages to foster the continued value of theatre as a vital art form for future generations.

 

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