Many years ago when Riverside was in its infancy, I auditioned for the lead in Rollin Wehman’s first dinner theatre production, Barefoot in the Park, at the General Washington Inn. When Rollin announced his new theatre, I jumped at the chance to perform in another venue beyond Mary Washington College where I had recently earned a BA in drama. And I got paid!

In the intervening years, I became an educator in Stafford County and an adjunct instructor at UMW, GMU, and VCCS. Meanwhile, I earned a master’s degree and a doctorate from VA Tech and wrote two books. I took my “show on the road” as a consultant and professional development presenter across the state and abroad and worked with NCATE to accredit colleges of education and teacher preparation. 

Most women, if we are lucky enough, get to live two lives – one in service to family and career and one in service to the community. Since retirement, I have entered my second life of community service. I have served on a variety of nonprofit boards: ArtsLIVE!; The Rude Mechanicals, a local theatre troupe; the YMCA in Caroline County, where I reside; the Women and Girls Fund of the Community Foundation; and the Riverside Foundation. Many years later and no longer the ingenue, I have come full circle and back to the theatre as a volunteer proud to serve on the Board of Trustees as Riverside Center for the Performing Arts enters a new nonprofit phase in its evolution.