Karen Quillen
Wintergreen Performing Arts announces the promotion of Karen S. Quillen to the newly created position of Managing Director. Quillen assumed her new responsibilities last month and functions as WPA’s chief operating officer. With Quillen’s appointment, Wintergreen Performing Arts has completed the organizational restructuring resulting from the departure of Larry Alan Smith, who was the Artistic and Executive Director for eight years. Smith's responsibilities have been divided into two positions: Quillen, as Managing Director, joins Erin Freeman, the previously appointed Artistic Director, as the co-leaders of WPA.
Tom Steele, Wintergreen Performing Art's President, describes Quillen’s promotion as making great sense for the organization. “Karen understands our mission and knows what it takes to be a successful performing arts organization. Her knowledge of Wintergreen and the region and her ability to reach out to community organizations and build relationships with our patrons make her superbly qualified as WPA’s Managing Director,” he said. “Additionally, she has experience implementing development and marketing initiatives and a strong sense of fiscal responsibility.” A patron recently said of Quillen, “There is tremendous trust in the community in (her) expertise, integrity and caring.”
Quillen was the organization's Director of Development and Marketing for five years. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Marketing and Organizational Communications. Professionally she has worked as Senior Sales Representative for the Johnson & Johnson Corporation and in the non-profit sector with both national and statewide positions in the fields of marketing, development and volunteer management. She is a prolific volunteer.
Located at Wintergreen Resort, Virginia’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain destination southwest of Charlottesville, Wintergreen Performing Arts has enjoyed 19 continuous, successful years of operation since its founding in 1995. Its primary focus is the four-week Wintergreen Summer Music Festival, launched in 1997, and featuring national and international artists, a music academy drawing active participants from across the country, and events and performances that embrace the performing, visual and literary arts.
