BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TAP enjoys the guidance and support of a very involved Board of Directors, 100% of whom contribute financially to TAP each year. Our board reflects a diversity of cultural backgrounds, income and experience.

Gregory S. Perrin (Board Chair)
Chief Development Officer, University of Texas Libraries
Gregory has been involved in theater for twenty years and has directed, produced and/or performed in more than twenty plays and commercials.  He earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Houston School of Theatre.  However, he is most proud of his accomplishments as a playwright. Gregory was the first commissioned playwright of the Fiesta First Ward Children's Theater Project produced by Theater LaB Houston. He has studied with Edward Albee, a three time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, who selected one of his plays for the Edward Albee Playwrights' Workshop. Gregory also has extensive experience in nonprofit management, fundraising and consulting. He enjoys working with TAP because he believes that TAP is impacting the lives of thousands of children in a meaningful and transforming way.

Benita Trevino (Vice Chair)
Volunteer Services, Project Management, Seeds for Change Consulting, LLC
Benita is a native Austinite and a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration.  She spent over 18 years in the corporate world developing her experience in project management in a variety of fields ranging from aircraft modification to customer service before moving to the non-profit sector.  She is a Certified PMI® Project Management Professional.  Currently, Benita works as a consultant with Seeds for Change Consulting which provides customized solutions to non-profit organizations. Benita has served on several special event committees including the Junior League of Austin’s A Christmas Affair, American Heart Association Heart Ball, and the Safeplace Anniversary Party.

Richard J. Smalling (Treasurer)
President, American Innovations, Ltd.
Rich is originally from Long Island, NY but escaped as soon as he left high school. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1985.  Over the next six years, Rich worked as a development engineer with Borg Warner and General Electric in West Virginia, France, The Netherlands and Kentucky. In 1993, Rich received an MBA from the University of Michigan and began working for FMC in Philadelphia, where he met his wife Anne. During their first four years of marriage, Rich and Anne moved to Austin, started new careers, built two houses, had two children and started a business. Since 1994, Rich has been President of American Innovations, a provider of electronics, software and services to the oil and natural gas pipeline industry. Rich is past President and Finance chair of the Austin chapter of Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization. He is past President and currently Treasurer of the board of directors of Theatre Action Project. In his spare time, he spends as much time as possible with Anne and daughters Marina and Samantha, squeezing in golf, biking and wakeboarding whenever possible.

Laura Buehler (Secretary)
Community Volunteer
Laura fell in love with theatre over 30 years ago while participating in Coleman Jennings‘ Creative Dramatics Summer Camp at the University of Texas.  Laura has a B.F.A. from the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University.  Laura was a working actor in Chicago and appeared in several plays, commercials and voiceovers.  Laura moved to North Carolina with her husband, Eric, where she became a certified Montessori teacher and was part of opening the first Montessori school in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  Since moving back to Austin, Laura has become a parent of Asa and Leila.  She has been very active in the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School community where she served as vice-president, and president of the Parents‘ Council.  Laura is honored to be a part of TAP; an organization that brings together three of her favorite things: theatre, children, and social change.

Raman N. Dewan
Partner, Jackson Walker, LLP
Raman received a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Mississippi in 1983. After that he joined the Air Force and was stationed in San Antonio. While in San Antonio, he obtained an M.S. in Computer Science from Trinity University. Figuring he liked school so much, he left the Air Force in 1988 and convinced his wife, Becky, to move to Massachusetts to attend Harvard Law School. Upon graduation, they moved to Austin in 1991 and have been here since. Raman and Becky have three boys (ages 18, 14, and 10) whose interests run from film making to musical theater to sports and cooking. Raman is an intellectual property attorney at the firm of Jackson Walker L.L.P. When not lugging various film equipment around for his budding film maker, Raman likes to play golf.  

Ann S. Graham
Independent Arts Consultant
Ann S. Graham dedicates her professional life to promoting a culturally rich and livable built environment dba as People + Art = Building Community.  As a freelance producer, she specifically looks for projects that build connections between artists and neighbors - linking artists and arts groups with financial and community resources. She is project manager for floodlines, project liaison for SunFlowers – a Garden of Energy and recently produced Real Community is Real Art, a city wide workshop on the arts and urban development. Ann was the founding Executive Director of First Night Austin, the New Year’s Eve Celebration of the Arts, which held its inaugural event on December 31, 2005.  She has served in leadership positions in the arenas of neighborhood, arts and education organizations including the COA’s Art In Public Places program, Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, and elementary and middle school parent organizations.  In addition to serving on the Board of Theatre Action Project, Ann serves on the Advisory Board of Liveable City and is co-chair of the Parents & Friends of the Liberal Arts & Science Academy.  Ann is the mother of two sons, ages 15 and 17, and her husband Arlen Johnson is a Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas, Austin.

Derek Jones
Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Derek is a longtime Austinite and graduate of the University of Texas, where he received his BBA in Marketing and General Business, with a minor in Psychology. He has been involved in theatre for 30 years, having produced, directed and acted in dozens of shows throughout Texas. In just the last three years, he has performed in almost a dozen plays at various Austin and surrounding theatres, such as NxNW Theatre, City Theatre, Different Stages and The Palace Theatre in Georgetown, where he also serves on the Board. In his spare time, he is a Financial Advisor for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He was also involved in one of the most successful startups ever in Austin, Tivoli Systems, back in the dot.com boom of the 90's. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a dynamic and difference-making organization like Theatre Action Project, and serves on the Finance Committee. His true enjoyment, however, comes from spending time with his amazing children, Katrina and Benjamin.

Eric McKiver
Trainer, Dept. of Family and Protective Services
Eric has lived in the Austin area for over 12 years. He has worked with children and teenagers throughout his career, and is an active volunteer in and around his community. Currently, Eric is employed by the Department of Family and Protective Services as a trainer. He is also a volunteer soccer coach with the Pflugerville Area Youth Soccer Association League and a volunteer trainer with the Williamson County Neighborhood Conference Committee.  Eric holds a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Texas State University. Eric resides in Round Rock with his wife of 12 years and 2 active children. He also enjoys running, soccer, action movies, and cooking.

Marnie Near
Marketing Director, Pisces Foods
Marnie is originally from California and moved to Austin in 1995. She received a BS in Theatre Arts from Northwestern University and an MBA from Duke University. Having been involved with theatre as an actor, producer and director for many years, Marnie is passionate about the arts and the enormous impact they have on people's lives. Marnie is currently the Marketing Director for Pisces Foods dba Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers and is actively involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Dell Children's Hospital. She lives in Austin with her two sons J.P. and Luke and husband Dave.

Carron Scott Whittaker
Global Public Service Industry Program Executive, Accenture
Carron Whittaker, a Manager in the Public Services Industry at Accenture, is a fifteen year veteran in working with public service entities.  In her career at Accenture, she has focused her efforts on developing customer-centric solutions, implementing new policies, and reengineering processes for state and local health and human services agencies.  Currently, Carron is serving as the Global Industry Program Executive for the Accenture Public Services Industry practice and is also the Testing Center of Excellence lead for the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership.   Carron holds a BA in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley, an MPAff from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.  Although a native of Altadena, California, she currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and daughter.  Carron also serves on the board of Austin Children’s Choir and sits on the Corporate Advisory Committee for the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

We are supported by a fantastic group of advisors. Our Advisory Council members act as ambassadors and offer guidance on key issues.

Christopher Adejumo, Professor, UT Austin Art and Art History

Katie Dawson, Lecturer, UT Austin Dept. Theatre and Dance

Brian Donovan, General Administrator, Inter Cooperative Council

Diana Groves, Student Intervention Specialist, AISD

Sara Hickman, Parent, Musician, Texas State Musician 2010

Grady Hillman, Community Arts Consultant and Poet   

Carla Jackson, Assistant Director of the Center for
Public Policy and Political Studies, Austin Community College

Shirlene Justice, After School Director, AISD, Community Education

Gary Knight, Vice President, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch

Michelle Krejci, Executive Director, Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders Foundation

Carolyn Mosely, Mother/Founder/CEO, The Ortralla LuWone Mosley Foundation

Brion Oaks, Vice President of Cultural Health, American Heart Association

Margaret Perry, Director, Armstrong School of Music at the Austin Lyric Opera

Rupert  Reyes, Artistic Director, Teatro Vivo

Aseante Scales, Senior Marketing Rep, Amerigroup

Karen Sullivan, Parent

Kennard Wright, Alumni Coordinator, UT Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs

Aimee  Zivin, Drama and Ethics Instructor, St. Andrews Episcopal School