Kristen Nordstrom Named New General Manager of Stages St. Louis

STAGES ST. LOUIS announces new staff appointments at its new home, The Kent Center for Theatre Arts, located in Chesterfield, MO. Kristen Nordstrom has been hired for the newly created position of General Manager, which will oversee the day to day operations of the administrative staff. Ron Gibbs, who has served as Managing Director for many years, will assume the new position of Director of Human Resources. Both positions are effective Monday, August 19.

The future for STAGES and its Performing Arts Academy has never looked brighter. With recent and unprecedented tickets sales for its theatre performances and rising registrations, it is an exciting moment in the history of the theatre company. Executive Producer, Jack Lane stated "There is so much positive change happening right now at STAGES and we cannot wait to welcome Kristen and her extensive leadership experiences to the fold. We are also looking forward to Ron's transition into the Director of Human Resources role. With the creation of these two positions, STAGES has completed the corner stone's of a bright and strong future for the theatre company."

STAGES Administrative offices and the Turley Performing Arts Academy recently moved to its new home, located in the Kent Center for Theatre Arts. The center houses 30 full-time STAGES staff and 40 part-time instructors. The building includes four professional dance studios, two acting studios, two voice studios, a multi-purpose student lounge, a welcome center and box office, administrative offices, as well as a performance hall with flexible seating to be used for main stage rehearsals, dance classes, educational presentations, donor and community events and special performances.

Nordstrom returns to St. Louis, her hometown, after spending the last three years in New York City. "I am truly excited to be back in St. Louis and to be joining the STAGES family. I have such fond memories of my days as a dancer at STAGES and am looking forward to bringing my skills as a manager to the organization. I could not ask for a more rewarding opportunity!," said Nordstrom.

A native of St. Louis, Kristen holds a BFA in dance from Webster University and enjoyed a successful career in New York as a dancer, choreographer, and educator. Many of her favorite memories were made performing in STAGES productions! While in New York, Kristen joined the specialty retailer Crate&Barrel where she spent 18 years in various management positions including Customer Service and Human Resources. In 2004, Kristen opened the St. Louis location as Store Manager and after 7 years she returned to New York to serve as the General Manager for the company's flagship Madison Avenue location. Kristen looks forward to melding her passions for the arts and business with the STAGES organization.

Ron who has served as Managing Director for the past 10 years stated "I am happy to make this transition to my new role, Director of Human Resources. It is an exciting time at STAGES and I am looking forward to its future."