8â|âOctober 2021 COMMUNITY
The Ensemble Theatre Names Sharon Samuel Managing Director By d-mars.com News Provider
H
oustonâs Ensemble Theatre, the oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, has named finance and management professional Sharon Samuel as its Managing Director. Ms. Samuel, whose prior connection to the Ensemble Theatre includes subscriber, donor, and service as Treasurer of its Board of Directors, will assume the duties of former Executive Director Janette L. Cosley, who retired earlier this year. Ms. Samuel will bring her extensive experience in accounting, finance, and operations and her strategic leadership and process optimization skills to The Ensemble as the organization continues to focus on bringing quality cultural arts and youth enrichment programming to the Houston community. âFollowing a nationwide recruitment effort to staff this essential position,â reports Board President, Jesse Tyson, âwe were delighted to find the ideal candidate already working among the Theatreâs talented, dedicated team.â A Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Samuel holds a Master of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University. She received her Nonprofit Finance Certificate from Rice Universityâs Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies and is also certified in Womenâs Studies and as a Project Management Professional.
An avid live theater participant, Samuel states, âIt is truly an honor to be given the opportunity to lead and advance the mis- sion of The Ensemble Theatre; a premiere, culturally rich organization posed to tell the varied stories of African Americans. I am looking forward to working with and leveraging the collective experiences of the staff, community, and collaborators to continue enriching the lives of Houstonians and visitors alike.â A native Texan, Ms. Samuel began her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young and later rose through the ranks of CenterPoint Energy, transitioning from audit to finance to electric distribution operations. As part of her service with The Ensemble Theatre, she successfully led the implementation of electronic payments processing, information
digitization, and revision of the organizationâs policies and procedures. Ensemble Board Vice President of Operations, Lynda House-McPeters notes that Samuelâs professional and academic pedigree are perfectly suited for her role as Managing Director. âMs. Samuelâs experience in the nonprofit world complements her experience in managing the financial operations of programs with a multimillion-dollar organization,â said House-McPeters. âWe will call on her talent and leadership skills to engage and direct our volunteers, support staff, and management professionals in pursuit of the Ensemble Theatreâs mission.â Ms. Samuel assumed her duties on July 1, 2021.
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For more about The Ensemble Theatre, please visit ensemblehouston.com. Source: The Ensemble Theatre