Dr. Gloria Holmes is a professor emerita at the School of Education at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT where she served as both chair and director of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program.

Presently, she is an adjunct professor at the University of SC in the Department of Education. Dr. Holmes has a doctorate in English, and her graduate research focused on American literature with a concentration on African American women writers.

Committed to promoting cultural literacy in schools, and communities, she has also worked as a diversity trainer for the Anti-Defamation League and the Connecticut State Department of Education, and has conducted anti-bias workshops for community organizations and public school teachers and school leaders in CT and SC.

Dr. Holmes is the author of the book, Justice in Search of Leaders, A Handbook for Equity-Driven School Leadership (2018). She has published numerous articles and chapters on cultural diversity, social justice, and the achievement gap. Her monthly column, Diversity 101, appeared in the Hilton Head Monthly and Bluffton Monthly magazines.

President

Myla Lerner is a Tony Award winning Broadway Producer- (Pippin- Best Musical Revival 2013).

Other notable productions in the past decade include: What the Constitution Means to Me, The Heidi Chronicles, If/Then, Lady Day, Glengarry Glen Ross, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, End of the Rainbow, Lombardi and HAIR.

She is the recipient of a 2022 Clio Entertainment Award- Live Entertainment Speciality- Pandemic Work for producing Broadway's Best Shows: Spotlight on Plays- Spring 2021 Season.

For the past forty years she has actively supported the Arts and Philanthropic causes in New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Since moving to Hilton Head she has continued to do so. She is currently a trustee with the National Council for the American Theatre with Theatre Communications Group.

She is married to Larry Kramer, former President and Publisher of USA Today.

Joe is President & CEO of Wolverine Development Corporation in East Lansing, Michigan and past board president of Michigan State University's Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

A graduate of Northwestern and Columbia Universities, he is also currently Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction.

Joe and Jeanne Maguire reside in Palmetto Dunes.

As a native of Alexandria, VA, Jan McKelvey graduated with High Honors from the Smith College Department of Theater and Speech in 1976. Her 25 year-long full-time career in arts management included such positions as Film Coordinator at the Walnut Street Theater; Director of Development for the Opera Company of Philadelphia; the Founding Director of the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts; and the Director of Development for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. After she and her husband Mike welcomed their daughter Michelle and son Blake into the world, Jan held a number of part-time positions with such organizations as the Washington Airports Task Force and WETA.

After she and Mike became empty nesters, Jan started a second career at the Library of Congress, where she graduated from the Docent Class of 2010 and served on staff as a Visitor Services Coordinator from 2012-2018. She also volunteers at the Capitol Visitors Center and graduated from the 2014 Docent Class of Hillwood Museum and Gardens. While the McKelvey’s moved full-time to Hilton Head in 2020, they still maintain an apartment in Arlington where Jan continues her docent work and historical research. She is also a Civil War Docent at the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head and is on the Grants Committee for the Wexford Foundation.

Treasurer

Lauri is a native of Washington, D.C., where she returns often, and spent almost 30 years in the Boston area. She began spending time in Hilton Head in 2014 and became a fulltime resident of Leamington in 2019.  She has 2 sons and 2 grandchildren, the lights of her life.

She graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in Psychology and from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management with an MBA, focusing on Marketing and Strategic Planning.

Lauri worked as a management consultant throughout most of her professional career, eventually developing expertise and focus on commercial strategy and analytics for the pharmaceutical industry.  In 2005, she and a partner started their own firm, specializing in contracting and pricing strategy and analytics for most of the firms comprising “big pharma”. After 9 years, growing the firm to 50+ employees and $13M in revenue, they sold it to a global healthcare data company. Following the acquisition, she continued to assist with client and project management and undertook freelance consulting projects.

Since moving to Hilton Head full time, Lauri has been a volunteer at Volunteers in Medicine, doing pharmacy research and quality improvement projects and working as a technician in the pharmacy, where you can find her most Monday mornings.

She has taken up bridge and works to improve her golf game. She co-leads two women’s groups – a movie group and a travel group – two of her passions, in addition to live theater.  She especially enjoys the many new friendships she has made since moving here.   

Lauri has been a patron of Lean Ensemble since coming to Hilton Head, and a member of the Inner Circle of volunteers for several years.  She looks forward to serving as Treasurer and deepening her engagement and support of this wonderful organization!

Inner Circle Chairperson and Vice President

Cathy and her husband Michael moved to Hilton Head full time in 2008 after spending time in Atlanta, Chicago, and 18 years in Boston.  

During her working career, Cathy taught in secondary and post-secondary schools, worked in Marketing for Burroughs/Unisys, and was the Instructional Development/Consulting Manager for Information Mapping, Inc.  During her years in Boston, she was active in several neighborhood groups and worked on the Groundwater Development project for the South End area.

Since moving to HHI, Cathy’s been involved with Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry, and has served on the boards of Bear Creek Golf Club and also its Women’s Golf Association.  She’s been a member of the LET Inner Circle for the last four years, serving as its chair for the past two.

Cathy has a BA and MA from the University of South Florida, and an Ed.S. from Georgia State University.

After having performed in high school productions, her acting “career” was on hold until she participated in the Lean Ensemble Theater’s benefit production of Love, Loss and What I Wore.  She’s happy to have met Myla Lerner through a mutual friend, and is glad that one thing led to another.  

Cynthia is a global citizen, experienced in the arts through culture. The world has been her stage. With her family she has traveled extensively and lived throughout world. Cynthia lived 15 years in several African and Asian countries. As a result, she has gained cultural and artistic exposure in numerous forms, including song, dance, wood work, textiles and jewelry-making. Cynthia was an active patron of Johannesburg’s Montecasino Theater and has visited many theaters and museums around the world.

In addition to the Arts, Cynthia has been active in volunteerism and philanthropy, working with organizations focused on environmental, social and governance issues. Being an effective organizer, she has spearheaded efforts to raise funds for addressing child hunger and health in Kenya and Southern Africa. In the Philippines, she partnered with Coca-Cola, WFO and the Philippines Coast Guard in addressing environmental issues in water stressed areas. In addition, Cynthia led initiatives with the US Embassy to strengthen Filipino/American relations.

She received her BFA from Stephens College, transitioning her professional career to the Technology field.

Her husband, Eric is a recent Coca-Cola retiree; they have successfully settled in Hilton Head Island. Cynthia and Eric have a beautiful daughter, Ryian, who is a great artist in her own right and is currently studying psychology.

Cynthia looks forward to bringing a unique perspective to the board and future success to The Lean Ensemble.

Secretary

Katie grew up in Southeast Michigan and developed a love for the Arts at a young age. After obtaining dual degrees in English and Theatre & Drama from University of Michigan, she moved to New York and began a career as a Theatrical Stage Manager. Katie was lucky enough to work on 23 Broadway shows, as well as a few Off-Broadway, many galas and events as well as Regional work at Arena Stage, Goodspeed Opera House and Westport Country Playhouse. She also worked on the National Tour of the latest revival of HAIR.

Despite immense gratitude for a fulfilling career in NYC, Katie started a new life chapter by moving to Hilton Head with her husband Joel after the birth of their daughter. The quality of life and proximity to family has been such a welcome change, and she maintains a position teaching stage management as an adjunct faculty member and student mentor at Pace University. Katie welcomed a second child to the world in November 2022.

Katie hopes her knowledge of the industry and her passion for collaboration will be an asset to the Board, and she is honored to be invited to contribute to the Community in such an important way.

Tim and his wife Mona moved full-time to Hilton Head Island in 2012 and immediately became involved in many civic and cultural activities. Tim has been a Project Impact mentor in the public schools since 2012. He is a past president of the VanLandingham Rotary Club and a Board member. He served two terms on the Board of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and two years as Board Chair. He has served on the Town’s Venue Committee and was a participant in the Visioning process. He is a member of the Greater Island Council.

His interest in theater began with writing and acting in a sixth-grade play. He has seen more than 600 plays and musicals (and has the playbills to prove it!). At Harvard, he was President of the Dudley House Drama Society and acted, directed and produced a number of plays.

Tim had a thirty-five year career in management consulting with three major international consulting firms. At his last firm, Mercer, he was Midwest Region Head, a world-wide partner, and a member of both the firm’s U.S. Board of Directors and Global Leadership Group. He served on the Executive Committee of the Cleveland Opera and The Cleveland Play House. He was a volunteer with the Arts & Business Council of Chicago where he and another retired consultant created a Board Development Consulting practice.

A Boston native, Tim and Mona have lived in Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. He has an AB in Government from Harvard College. He is excited about the future of Lean Ensemble Theater!

Charlie was born in New York City but has lived and worked in various other places including, Atlanta, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Dayton, Ohio and Denver, Colorado. He retired to Maui, Hawaii and lived there with his wife, Dianne for ten years before settling at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton where they have lived for the last eleven years.

Charlie is a graduate of Amherst College and the Columbia University School of Law. He worked on Wall Street in private practice and eventually was General Counsel for three international public companies in Connecticut, Ohio and Colorado. In his capacity as Chief Legal Officer he advised the Boards of Directors of such companies on all their legal matters and managed large staffs of attorneys which handled all legal matters for the companies.

During his career and since retiring he has served on the Boards of numerous nonprofit organizations including a minority dance company and the YMCA. He currently serves on the Boards of Bluffton Self Help in Bluffton and Second Helpings on Hilton Head.

Founding Artistic & Executive Director

Blake White founded Lean Ensemble Theater in the winter of 2015 as a celebration of theater-- the artists that create it as well the patrons who support it. Directing credits for Lean include Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, Barefoot in the Park, A Doll’s House Part 2, Good People, The Clean House, Tribes, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, The Glass Menagerie, and God of Carnage. On stage, Blake has appeared in Art, The Humans, Who Am I This Time?, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Underpants and The Waverly Gallery.

Elsewhere as a director, Blake has staged productions of Shear Madness (Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute),  All My Sons (The Warehouse Theatre), The Lonesome West (Brown County Playhouse), The Glass Menagerie, Boeing Boeing (The Shuler Theater),  Matt and Ben, The Pavilion, The Savannah Disputation, The Lady With All the Answers and Venus in Fur (South Carolina Repertory Company).

As an actor, he has been seen on the stages of Actors Theatre of Louisville, Actors Workshop of Boston, The Shuler Theater, Brown County Playhouse, South Carolina Repertory Company, Cider Mill Playhouse, among others, as well as several off- and off-off and not close to broadway companies. Blake has also provided spoken word narration in concerts with the Hilton Head Choral Society and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. 

Blake is a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, Actors Equity Association and serves on the boards of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Lean Ensemble Theater, the Beaufort County Alcohol & Drug Abuse Board & the Arts Council of Hilton Head Island.

Debbie and her husband Lee bought their home in Palmetto Dunes and started living part-time in Hilton Head in 2016. They fell in love with the lowcountry and decided to become full-time residents in 2022. Before 2016, they lived in the mountains of West Virginia and spent 25 years in Northern Virginia. 

In her career, Debbie worked in IT consulting for Hewlett Packard, Compaq, and Digital Equipment Corporation. She began as a technical consultant, then moved into project and program management roles, and eventually took on leadership positions like Vice President of the Data Center Practice for the Americas Consulting organization. Debbie has a BS in Computer Science from West Virginia University. 

Since moving to Hilton Head Island, Debbie has gotten involved with the Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association and serves on several committees, including as chair of the Social Media Subcommittee. She’s also the VP on the board of the Palmetto Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association. 

Dancing was Debbie’s first exposure to the arts, starting from early childhood and continuing into college. She loves theater and takes every chance to enjoy it, from Broadway to community theater. She’s honored to serve on the Lean Ensemble Theater board and hopes her project management and technology skills will be valuable to the organization

Randie and her husband, Michael, a retired attorney,  moved to Bluffton full time three years ago from Chicago. They had traveled back and forth between both their homes for many years, and were delighted to end up in this piece of paradise.

Randie was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and spent most of her career working with adolescents and families in many different settings. She moved into the business aspect of the profession, and did Healthcare Marketing and later became Director of Behavior Health for a large Community Hospital in the Chicago area.

Randie has a BS in Psychology from Barat College in Lake Forest, Il and an MSW from Loyola University in Chicago.

Once moving to Bluffton, she served on the Inaugural Committee to form the Belfair Charitable Fund.

Randie and her husband moved from the suburbs to downtown Chicago where they spent 20 years prior to moving to the Lowcountry. They moved into the city to be able to enjoy all the wonderful things the city had to offer, such as Theater, The Chicago Symphony and Steppenwolf Theater.  She was delighted to discover Lean Ensemble Theater, and to “lean in” to bring innovative theater to the Lowcountry.

Kelly regularly counsels health care providers, not-for-profit corporations, and technology vendors on corporate compliance standards, best practices and corporate governance matters, and on the potential collateral consequences of business decisions. She routinely defends clients in government investigations and litigation, helps providers and businesses negotiate complex transactions, and serves as counsel to several healthcare companies and non-profit associations. Her broad base of experience and deep knowledge of the health care industry allows Kelly to help her formulate creative solutions to multi-faceted business issues and aggressively defend the interests of her clients.

Kelly is a frequent speaker for community, heath, and business organizations on fraud and abuse, privacy and security compliance, non-profit governance, and business liability issues. She is a leader in the health care and legal communities. Kelly previously served as Chair of the South Carolina Bar’s Health Law Section Council, Vice-Chair of the American Health Lawyers Association Liability and Litigation Practice Group, and President of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association. Kelly is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale Hubbell. She was made a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in 2014, has been recognized by SuperLawyers in health care law since 2012, and named in Best Lawyers of America in health care law and data privacy law in 2018.