The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Board of Directors welcomes new leaders in the upcoming 2024-25 Season including Lalu Beré, Sarah Haffer, Dave Kievet, Elizabeth Smith and Dan Voss.
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s Board of Directors is grateful for the dedicated service of Frank Kearny who was a member of the Center’s Board from 2015 until his death in April of this year. The Board also thanks retiring members Tom Boldt, John Davis, Kevin Gilligan and Mark Thompson who completed their service at the end of the 2023-24 Season.
“We are so grateful to Tom, John, Kevin, Mark and Frank for giving so generously their time and talents to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s mission to serve our community,” said President and CEO of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Maria Van Laanen. “As we welcome the new board members, we are eager to engage their unique experiences, expertise and perspectives in ensuring the Center remains a multicultural gathering place where all may grow and be inspired through the live performing arts.”
Ryan Downs will continue his role as the board chair. Downs is the president of Oh Snap! Pickling Company and has been on the Center’s board since 2018.
Tom Rettler will continue in his role as secretary-treasurer. Rettler is recently retired as the executive vice president & chief financial officer of Menasha Corporation. He has been a member of the Center’s Board of Directors since 2019.
Heather Beresford will serve as the vice chair for the 2024-25 Season. Beresford is the senior vice president of sustaining services of Plexus Corp. She has been a member of the Center’s Board of Directors since 2021.
ABOUT THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Lalu Beré is a Brand Experience Leader for Plexus Corp. She has more than 10 years of experience leveraging relationships, data and insights to build brands and value for her customers. Having held roles in marketing, brand management, business development, financial analysis and fundraising, Lalu has worked across for-profit and non-profit sectors. She holds a BS in business administration and BA in international business and Spanish, respectively, from the University of Denver, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Sarah Haffer is Vice President, Customer Logistics for Kimberly-Clark North America. In this role, Sarah and her team are accountable for customer service, customer strategies, distribution operations, automation and systems capabilities. She is an active mentor through K-C’s Women’s and African Ancestry Employee Resource Groups and serves as a site leader for Kimberly-Clark’s Neenah Innovation and Operational Excellence Center campus. Before joining Kimberly-Clark, Sarah spent 13 years at Anheuser-Busch InBev in St. Louis, where she held increasing roles of responsibility across logistics and wholesaler functions.
Dave Kievet is the President and CEO of The Boldt Group and is responsible for corporate oversight for all operations nationwide. Having started in the industry as a construction laborer, Dave has gained valuable hands-on experience working in all areas of operations and market sectors from healthcare to heavy industrial. He has spent the better part of his career working with project teams to develop and advance innovative solutions for integrating talent and resources, resulting in extraordinary outcomes.
Elizabeth Smith is a community advocate currently volunteering with several nonprofits in the Fox Valley, including Tri-County Community Dental and LEAVEN. She also serves on the board of the Paine Art Center and Gardens. Elizabeth graduated from Bates College with a BA in psychology. Upon graduation, she worked in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital as a clinical oncology research coordinator. In 2018, Elizabeth earned an MBA from George Washington University. At that time, she relocated to Providence, RI, where she worked for CVS Health in the company’s Retail Pharmacy Operations department. She returned to the Fox Valley in 2020 and now resides in Neenah with her husband.
Dan Voss is the Executive Vice President of Industrial Operations for Miron Construction and leads all aspects of business development and preconstruction activities. Voss joined Miron in 2005, beginning his career as a field engineer assisting the management team with various projects. He transitioned to Miron’s business development team as vice president, business development (northern region), coordinating all business development efforts for Miron’s Wausau office, before transitioning to his current role. Voss is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
ABOUT THE FOX CITIES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and cultural education organization located in downtown Appleton, provides a premier venue for live performing arts. Since 2002, the Center has proudly served as a multicultural gathering place for the community to engage in educational opportunities while enhancing a greater understanding and appreciation of life through the live performing arts. The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center — Where the Arts Come Alive!