Near the conclusion of our fourth quarter this month, we are celebrating a trio of major promotions. We congratulates Gena Buhler, head of Strategy & Operations, on her promotion to principal and Jennifer Segal on her promotion to controller. Daniel Ordower is also retitling as “managing principal:” a label better suited to his current work at Theatre Projects.
These changes follow commendable work from all three across the past few years—a time of service expansion and revitalized thinking on both the Business Operations and Strategy & Operations teams. We have expanded our approach to projects, types of projects, and relationships within our community—all moves led or supported by Gena, Jennifer, and Daniel.
“We’ve been eager to start working with clients sooner and in more ways, and these three have helped us to make that possible. Their promotions are exciting news for everyone, and they further reflect our desire to diversify representation on the leadership team. We are grateful for more perspectives at all levels of the company and want to continue bolstering our ranks with the best talent in the industry,” offered David Rosenburg, president of the Theatre Projects board of directors. Board chair Scott Crossfield added, “No one in the industry has bigger eyes or a more diverse skillset than we do. Advancing these three leaders celebrates their years of commitment, vision for growth, and contributions to our recent successes.”
Gena joined Theatre Projects in 2020, and her brief but laudable stretch here has been marked by significant division growth and an ambitious vision for client support. From her background as a venue professional, she has tremendous empathy for both the day-to-day and the long-term interests of creative organizations and professionals. And through the listening and leadership skills that have inspired this promotion, Gena and her team always manage to find right-sized, research-led solutions for communities at any point in their lifecycle.
“I am grateful to Theatre Projects for the trust and confidence that has been afforded to me as we’ve rapidly grown our Strategy & Operations services,” said Gena. “Helping all types of communities and organizations make meaningful, realistic, and data-driven decisions continues to be the foundation of our work. Fueled by an amazing team, I hope that my growth and leadership at Theatre Projects can set an example of the determination, dedication, and limitless potential of women in the arts and entertainment field today.”
An operations and business management mastermind, Jennifer brings her vast professional experience and a love of the performing arts world to her work. In her time with us, Jennifer has managed to improve reporting, operations, and company-wide financial practices, while simultaneously making life easier and administrative time slimmer for staff on the ground. Her new position allows for even higher-level thinking as we prepare for internal and external shifts—all made more manageable by her finance and accounting know-how.
“It has been inspiring to witness the rapid growth and expansion of our team and, in turn, the extraordinary breadth of services now provided by Theatre Projects,” shared Jennifer. “Time is precious, and our goal in Business Operations is to ensure that our team can spend as much time as possible doing the focused work of our projects, with little administrative burden. I’m looking forward to the path ahead and our continued evolution.”
Though he’s officially only seeing a title change, Daniel has steadily escalated his duties and expanded the scope of his position over the past five years. He has maintained a commitment to improving arts, culture, and community among Theatre Projects’ client base and beyond, and our growth under Daniel’s leadership reflects his expansive, “theatre is everywhere” mindset. His diverse arts background and fiscal and legal experience have inspired meaningful moves toward optimized internal systems, more equitable and efficient communication, and a broader view on company capabilities.
Heading into our 66th year, we look forward to continued guidance from these three and are excited for all they bring to both clients and our community at large.
