See photos of Duehring, Piper, and Ballou below.
Barter Theatre, The State Theatre of Virginia, recently announced the promotion of three employees to a new director level as part of a restructuring within the company.
These transitions came out of a business plan for continued growth of the theatre for the next three years. Barter Theatre saw record attendance of more than 160,000 patrons in 2006, and look to continue this growth over the next few years which include Barter's 75th Anniversary in 2008.
Richard Rose, producing artistic director, announced these changes at a company wide meeting in late January. "These new directors will streamline operations and pave the way for growth of the company," Rose said. These changes will allow Rose to be more active with fundraising and artistic endeavors. With the restructuring, the company is now divided into three divisions, Advancement, Production and Business.
Jayne Duehring has been promoted to the Director of Advancement at Barter Theatre and will oversee the departments of marketing, development and sales and services. Before serving as the Director of Marketing at Barter for the past year, Duehring was the Associate Director of Development from 2003-2005. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of United Way of Washington County from 1997-2003. Duehring is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and moved to Abingdon in 1997. She has served as an instructor with Radford University for a certificate for Non-Profit Management in Strategic Planning and Board/Executive Relations. She is currently a board member of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Duehring resides in Abingdon with her husband, Jim.
Nicholas Piper has been promoted to the Director of Production at Barter Theatre and will coordinate all areas of production including actors, directors, sets, electrics, costuming, etc. Piper continues with his duties as an Associate Artistic Director under Richard Rose, Barter Producing Artistic Director and as an actor and director. He is also the director of the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights held each summer during the Virginia Highlands Festival. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he began his career at Barter as a founding member of Barter's First Light Theatre which is now The Barter Players. This year, along with his duties as Director of Production, Piper will direct Barter's productions of Blithe Spirit and A Christmas Carol and will be acting in The Quiltmaker, Tradin' Paint, Dracula! and Doubting Thomas. Piper resides in Abingdon with his wife, Wendy Mitchell Piper, a member of Barter Theatre's Resident Acting Company.
Joan Ballou will continue to serve in her role as Managing Director at Barter Theatre but will take additional responsibilities involving all areas of business, human resources, maintenance and accounting departments. A native of New York, Ballou began at Barter Theatre in February 2001 as Business Manager and served five years before being appointed Managing Director. She has 42 years experience in accounting and business management working in a variety of industries including home improvement, pet food, hydraulics and a retirement facility. Ballou attended both Suffolk and Cape Fear Community Colleges. She resides in Abingdon with her husband, Sam, and the couple has two daughters and three grandchildren.
