Paper Mill Playhouse Appoints Director of Development

Paper Mill Playhouse (Todd Schmidt, Managing Director, Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director) is proud to announce the appointment of Sue-Ellen M. Wright as Paper Mill Playhouse's Director of Development. "Paper Mill Playhouse is thrilled to add Sue-Ellen Wright to our senior management team," says Todd Schmidt, Paper Mill Playhouse Managing Director. "Sue-Ellen has extensive knowledge in all aspects of fundraising for the arts and her skills will allow Paper Mill Playhouse to expand its contributed support."

The Director of Development is responsible for planning and executing the organization's strategic and operational development in achieving a $5 million annual campaign and implementation of planned giving efforts. Ms. Wright will work closely with the Board of Trustees, local, regional and national foundations, corporate, government, and individual funders to identify and grow the resources to support Paper Mill Playhouse's artistic vision, arts education programs and strategic organizational development.
"After a thorough search for a new Director of Development we are very pleased to have found Sue-Ellen," said Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director, Mark S. Hoebee. "Not-for-profit arts organizations can not maintain quality programming on ticket sales alone. I believe that the combination of Sue-Ellen's experience and enthusiasm are a perfect match for the many challenges of maintaining and garnering additional support for Paper Mill Playhouse."

For the past three years, Sue-Ellen M. Wright has worked as an independent fundraiser, consulting on a variety of projects including the New York City Ballet, Friends of the High Line, Lydia Johnson Dance Company, and Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. Sue-Ellen served as Assistant Vice President of Corporate Development and Sponsorship Marketing for seven years at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, NJ. At NJPAC, Sue-Ellen grew corporate fundraising and sponsorship programs with a combined annual goal of $3.4 million of an $11 million annual operating budget. She was strategically involved in all fundraising activities and a $180 million unified campaign for endowment, reserve and annual operations.

Prior to her time at NJPAC, Sue-Ellen served as Director of Development for the Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. In Arizona, Sue-Ellen increased individual giving, corporate and foundation contributions and public funding in both cities. As the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Gifts at The Washington Ballet in Washington DC, Sue-Ellen coordinated the annual fund with a $4 million capital campaign for a new studio and endowment. She is a graduate of Montclair State University, earned a Masters in Public Administration from Seton Hall University and was honored by the Women's Fund of New Jersey for non-profit management leadership.

"It is truly exciting to take on this important role to sustain and grow a vibrant cultural arts community," says Sue-Ellen Wright. "I am especially looking forward to working with the administration and the Board of Trustees to achieve the vision for Paper Mill Playhouse in the 21st Century. It is an honor to become part of an outstanding professional team which is dedicated to the performing arts and arts education across New Jersey."

Sue-Ellen M. Wright will begin her work with Paper Mill Playhouse on December 15, 2010. The national search was coordinated through Arts Consulting Group in Washington D.C. The search committee included Paper Mill Playhouse management along with members of the Paper Mill Playhouse Board of Trustees: Ken Wenger, Carolyn Ferolito, Jane Higgins, Howard Hirsch, Deborah Kennedy, Brian Clarkson and John Nietzel.

"Paper Mill Playhouse requires a significant amount of contributed support to keep our many programs operating," says Kenneth P. Wenger, Chairman of the Paper Mill Playhouse Board of Trustees. "Sue-Ellen Wright is a respected development professional and has a terrific track record in not-for-profit fundraising. The Board of Trustees looks forward to working with her to grow this important arts institution."

Furthermore, Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce the addition of members to Paper Mill Playhouse's Board of Trustees and new slate of officers for the Millburn theater. The Board of Trustees assists Paper Mill Playhouse in achieving its artistic mission, financial goals, and national prominence. Their combined extensive management experience and dedication to the arts establish a diverse and prominent Board of Trustees for Paper Mill Playhouse.

The Paper Mill Playhouse Officers of the Board of Trustees are:

Kenneth P. Wenger - Chairman - is Senior Vice President with PNC Investments in Millburn. Mr. Wenger is a Certified Financial Advisor and has been in the financial industry for over three decades. Mr. Wenger attended Emerson College and Hofstra University.

Jane Higgins - Vice Chair - is Senior Vice President with U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Ms. Higgins received a B.A. and MBA from Rutgers University and was inducted into the local chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Brian Clarkson - Vice President - is the former President and Chief Operating Officer of Moody's Investors Service of Moody's Corporation. Mr. Clarkson received a J.D. from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, as well as a B.S. in finance and B.A. in accounting from Ferris State College.

Beth Kirsch - Vice President - is Executive Director of Sales and Marketing of Tribeca Entertainment. Prior to joining the company in 2000 she was Executive Director of The Shooting Gallery at the independent film company, Gun For Hire Films. She graduated from Emory University.

Ann Drzik - Treasurer - is a former Vice President of J.P. Morgan & Co., Inc. Ms. Drzik was the Senior Marketing Representative in North America for the Corporate Finance Eastern Europe Department of J.P Morgan & Co., Inc. Ms. Drzik holds an MBA from New York University, a B.A. in English Literature from Princeton University, and studied at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Oxford University.

Jacqueline E. Brevard - Secretary - is the Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer of Merck & Co., Inc. and leads the Merck Office of Ethics - a corporate functioning created to foster the Company's commitment to high standards of business ethics worldwide. Ms. Brevard received J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and an LLM in International Law from New York University School of Law.

Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes the following new members to the Board of Trustees:

Margy Coll - is a Partner with Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Coll graduated with an MA Honors in Italian & Business Studies from Edinburgh University. In her 25 years with Ernst & Young, Ms. Coll has had significant experience working with both established multinational companies and start ups in the UK, Germany, Italy, and the US.

Deborah R. Kennedy - is a Vice President and Senior Banker with J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Ms. Kennedy has over twenty years of industry experience specializing in ultra high net worth individuals, specifically with the owners of closely held companies. Ms. Kennedy received a B.S. degree in Finance from Rider University.

John F. Nietzel - is the Business Development Director, SVP for Investors Savings Bank. Mr. Nietzel has over twenty-five years experience in financial management. He received an MBA from Seton Hall University, a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Marist College, and is a graduate of Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

Lynn Van Nosdall - is a former trustee of The Burch Charter School of Excellence in Irvington, NJ, which she helped establish from concept to completion. She is strongly committed to arts education. Ms. Van Nosdall holds an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Columbia University's Teacher's College, and a B.A. in American History and Literature from Rutgers University.

Peter Webster - is the General Manager of the Hilton Hotel in Short Hills, NJ, and is an executive board member of the Millburn-Short Hills Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Mr. Webster was the General Manager of the British Colonial Hilton in Nassau, Bahamas, where he was instrumental in the $18 million renovation and modernization of the property. Born in England, Mr. Webster attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London where he received an Honors degree.

Paper Mill Playhouse, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theaters and is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, in addition to contributions from many corporations, foundations, businesses and individuals. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the National Alliance for Music Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

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