From the President/CEO
and Chairman of the Board
Dear Straz Friends –
The hot summer months
are always a good time
for some quiet re�� ection.
It takes many
diverse elements to
JUDITH LISI
President/CEO
make a successful
metropolitan area –
excellent universities,
internationally acclaimed
performing arts, winning
sports teams, thriving
businesses, state of the
art medical institutions,
inspired citizens, visionary leaders and
many other achievers, big and small.
It’s that desire to reach for the stars
and believe we can do anything we set
our minds to as a community that sets
Tampa apart from other great cities.
We have visionaries who see what is
needed and create the change to make it
happen – such is the story of the Straz
Center’s arts education programs.
Thirty years ago, few could have
imagined the national impact The
Straz would have on arts education.
The creative visionaries, the generous
donors and talented educators who
make our 45 Tampa Bay community
partnerships and the Patel Conservatory
possible now provide over 15,000
students a year with world-class arts
classes and performances. Today, we
are a model for the nation to show how
important the arts can be to transform
one class, one life at a time.
We are training the artists of the future.
Enjoy your summer!
David A. Straz, Jr. Center
for the Performing Arts
Board of Trustees
Allison Adams
Johnny Adcock
R. Troy Atlas
Harry Cohen
Santiago Corrada
Theodore J. Couch, Jr.
Victor Crist
Gina d’Angelo
Douglas J. Dieck
Jeff Eakins
Jonathan Ellen
Ignacio A. Ferras, III
Michele M. Freedle
Tampa Bay
Performing Arts Center Foundation
Board of Directors
A.D. “Sandy”
MacKinnon, Chairman
R. Kent Bailey
Don DeFosset
John Jaeb
Helen Kerr
Jack Kirkland
Judith Lisi
Frank L. Morsani
Frank J. Rief, III
Gary Sasso
Hinks Shimberg
Martin L. Silbiger
William E. Starkey
David A. Straz, Jr.
Susan Sykes
Bill West
Jerry Williams
The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts
is owned by the City of Tampa and operated by
the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.,
a not-for-profi t organization.
MAYOR
Bob Buckhorn
TAMPA CITY COUNCIL
Yvonne Yolie Capin, Harry Cohen, Guido Maniscalco,
Charlie Miranda, Frank Reddick, Mike Suarez,
Luis Viera
Ryan Freking
Judy L. Genshaft
Jeffrey Gibson
Gordon Gillette
Bill Goede
Terry Igo
Don E. Jones, Jr.
Kasey Shimberg Kelly
Jack Kirkland
Scott Kizer
Zena Lansky
Barry Levine
A.D. “Sandy” MacKinnon
Gene Marshall
Gene McNichols
Steven H. Mezer
Frank L. Morsani
Vera Muzzillo
Rick Nafe
Erika Noonburg-Morgan
Robert Norman
Adam Palmer
Pallavi K. Patel
Jake Raburn
Royce W. Reed
Dennis R. Rogero, Jr.
Alfred Rogers, Jr.
Ann McKeel Ross
Gary Sasso, Chairman
David Scher
Hinks Shimberg
Jeff Sikorske
Martin L. Silbiger
Lisa Simington
Rick Simonetti
Sharon Stein
Catherine Lowry Straz
Cindy Stuart
Chuck Sykes
Susan Sykes
Ronald Vaughn
David B. Weinstein
Bill West
Todd Wickner
PRESIDENT’S
COUNCIL
Helen Kerr
Helen Torres
GARY SASSO
Chairman