MEDIA RELEASE
\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nMEDIA CONTACT
\nCorinne Gayle Lowenthal
\nMarketing & Development Strategist
\nCoHo Productions, Ltd
\ncorinne@cohoproductions.org
\nMain: 503-220-2646
\nDirect: 971-223-9032<\/p>\n
February 18, 2013 \u2013 PORTLAND, ORE.<\/strong> Last Thursday evening, the CoHo Board\u00a0of Directors conducted a meeting of reorganization, renewal and celebration as\u00a0many long-standing board members retired from the board, two new members were\u00a0welcomed into board service and the election of new officers was conducted.<\/p>\n Current board member Mary Blair<\/strong> was elected Board President<\/strong> and was joined by\u00a0newly elected members Don Blair as Secretary\/Treasurer<\/strong> and Philip Cuomo<\/strong> as\u00a0<\/strong>Member-At-Large<\/strong>. The current Artistic Council<\/strong>, comprised of Mead Hunter, Karin\u00a0<\/strong>Magaldi, Chris Murray, Liane Hilling-Shah, Laura Faye Smith<\/strong> and Stephen Weeks<\/strong>,\u00a0remains unchanged.<\/p>\n Mary Blair<\/strong> has been a CoHo board member since 2011 and is a three-year member\u00a0of the JAW Reading Committee at Portland Center Stage. As CFO of Nike, Inc., and a\u00a0current board member at Portland Center Stage, Don Blair<\/strong> brings extensive business\u00a0and financial experience to the Board. Finally, Philip Cuomo<\/strong> has been a member of\u00a0the Portland theater community since 2003. He is an actor, an award winning director,\u00a0a core company member of Third Rail Repertory Theater and the current Executive Director of Portland Actors Conservatory.<\/p>\n The retiring board members include President Scott Stephens, CoHo Co-Founder\u00a0<\/strong>Robert Holden, Secretary Ruth Fredine, Treasurer Lee Kurtz<\/strong> and Leslie Houston<\/strong>.\u00a0\u201cWe are so grateful for the guidance, hard work, and countless hours of time and\u00a0resources dedicated to CoHo by Scott, Robert, Ruth, Lee and Leslie. They\u2019ve all served s a vital resource to artists who strive to produce projects they are deeply passionate\u00a0about and will be missed,\u201d said Artistic Council Member Laura Faye Smith.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a co-founder of the company, Robert Holden\u2019s contributions to CoHo have been\u00a0immeasurable,\u201d said new Board President Mary Blair. Holden directed CoHo\u2019s very first\u00a0production, Bodyhold<\/em>, in 1995 at the Benson Hotel and was the co-producer\/director\u00a0for one of the company\u2019s most successful shows, William S. Gregory\u2019s Mary Tudor<\/em>.\u00a0He was also instrumental in developing the acclaimed CoHo Theater, now in its 12th\u00a0year. \u201cIt is fitting that as Robert leaves the board, he is returning to the director\u2019s chair<\/p>\n where he began with the Company,\u201d said Blair. Robert Holden is directing the upcoming\u00a0production of Bill W. and Dr. Bob<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cLeslie Houston, Ruth Fredine, Lee Kurtz and most notably Scott Stephens, must\u00a0also be saluted for their invaluable service to CoHo,\u201d continued Blair. \u201cMany in the\u00a0community are well aware of the tremendous work all of these individuals have devoted\u00a0to CoHo over the years, especially in this last season as we have operated without a\u00a0Managing Director and all aspects of CoHo\u2019s operations fell to this truly \u201cworking board\u201d.\u00a0The fact that CoHo still exists today is a credit to their tenacity and a reflection of the\u00a0real passion each holds for CoHo. The Portland theater community is only richer for\u00a0their gift of time and talent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a new board, we are very optimistic about the continued success of CoHo. We\u00a0have just signed a new lease on our theater and our near term priority is to build the\u00a0financial and operational health of the Company while maintaining a strong commitment\u00a0to CoHo\u2019s artistic mission,\u201d said Blair. Artistic Council Member Smith adds, \u201cWe are\u00a0incredibly enthusiastic and energized about what the future will hold with Mary, Don\u00a0and Philip on the Board. Their combined professionalism, intelligence, experience and passion bode well for CoHo\u2019s ability to attract and support the best our artistic\u00a0community has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n CoHo\u2019s Productions\u2019 mission is to produce high quality and affordable theater\u00a0in Portland in an intimate setting under a unique collaborative model known as co-production. CoHo invites local theater artists to propose plays for production to an\u00a0Artistic Council, consisting of established Portland theater artists of all disciplines,\u00a0who select three shows per season. CoHo provides the venue, funding and marketing\u00a0support for the show, thereby freeing its co-producers to focus on the artistic and\u00a0technical aspects in which they excel.<\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>