Board of Trustees

• 

  Nichole Gantshar (She/Her)

  Co-President

  Nichole Gantshar is a former dramaturg turned arts administrator. She’s provided interim leadership for PlayMakers Repertory Company, Louisville Ballet, Theatre Bay Area, and Marin Theatre Company.  She spent five years as Executive Director of Rochester City Ballet. She also has worked for Tulsa Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Prior to her administrative career, she worked for Syracuse Stage, Hangar Theatre, and others. Nichole received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and MFA from the University at Stony Brook. An active Rotarian, has served as the treasurer of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), was Chair of the National Student Education Fund, and treasurer of the Syracuse Chapter of Girls Inc. Among her awards, she was twice nominated as an Outstanding Young Woman of America and received a LMDA residency grant to serve as the production dramaturg for the Atlanta Ballet’s production of The Great Gatsby.

• 

  Liebe Meier Swain (She/They)

  Co-President

  Liebe Meier Swain a health care leader, got her leadership start directing productions as an undergraduate student. In all things, Liebe emphasizes collaborations, evidence-base solutions, and skillful attention to an organization’s customers and it’s at-large community. An Ithaca resident for over twenty years, Liebe has served on several Ithaca boards in both civic and philanthropic capacities. Liebe believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion is the soul of every community and that every story is a story worth telling.

• 

  Bernadette Parr (She/Her)

  Vice President & COT Chair

  Bernadette Soto Parr has worked in Admissions and Student Development at Cornell University for more than 20 years. Inspired by her daughter’s participation in the Hangar’s Next Generation School of Theatre programming and performances in Hangar Theatre productions, as well as the energy of the theatre, Bernadette is honored to be a part of the Hangar Theatre’s Board of Trustees. She has served on the Board since the start of 2020 and appreciates the Hangar Theatre family’s thoughtful, collaborative, and creative efforts to fulfill their mission to enrich, entertain, and enlighten.

• Mikhail O'Laughlin (He/Him)

  Treasurer
• 

  Davina Desnoes (She/Her)

  Davina Desnoes has over 25 years working in budget, planning and analysis, forecasting and strategic planning. She currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Budget and Planning Cornell University. Davina was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and has lived in Ithaca for the past 10 years with her husband Garth, and 3 almost adult children Darius, Sirus and Kayla. Davina was first introduced to theater by her son Sirus through his participation in school shows and NextGen, followed by professional theater performances. She enjoys reading, volunteering, playing games and attending shows at the Hangar Theater.

• Katherine Gould (She/Her)

• 

  Mike Alessio

  Mike joins the Hangar Board as a new member coming to us from the other end of Cayuga Lake in Seneca Falls. As a 30-year Leader at BonaDent Dental Labs, Mike looks to contribute with creative perspectives and collaboration – coupled with a highly-motivated style. Team Building, Community Reach Out and Financial Direction are areas that he will be assisting in. He is a passionate advocate in keeping the arts alive with a goal of fostering a vibrant, cultural community.  Mike also serves on the Seneca County Community Services Board which oversees the County Mental Health Department. In addition, he founded “The Alessio Project” – an initiative to support youth in developing life skills & positive practices.

• Dana Mueller (He/Him)

• 

  Scott Pesner (He/Him)

  Scott Pesner is thrilled to be part of the Hangar Theater board, having seen his first-ever Hangar performance when he attended Cornell’s high school summer program and saw “Loose Ends” with a Cornell grad student named Jimmy Smits. A long-time theater lover (his first Broadway show: the original run of “Fiddler on the Roof,” though later in the run), Scott currently serves as the Director of Engagement for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell. Prior to his career in engaging alumni, Scott spent most of his career in marketing and promotions, mostly in the cable television industry. A graduate of Cornell, he is also a huge Cornell hockey fan (both men’s and women’s!), and currently serves as president of the Cornell Hockey Association.

• 

  Barney Beins (He/Him)

  Barney has supported (and enjoyed) the Hangar Theatre for the past three decades. He retired from the Department of Psychology at Ithaca College after 37 years where he studied the psychology of humor and the scholarship of teaching and learning. As an active experimental psychologist, he served as president of the Eastern Psychological Association, the New England Psychological Association, the Society for the Teaching
  of Psychology, and the Society for the History of Psychology. As a Board member, he hopes to contribute to the continued successes of the Hangar Theatre as it adds to the cultural life in the Ithaca area.

• 

  Genna Knight (she/her)

  An avid audience member, Hangar enthusiast and previous staff member, Genna is thrilled to bring her development, marketing and communications experience to the board. She proudly served as the Hangar’s Communications and Development Coordinator from 2023-2024 and loves to see her four children involved at the theatre–attending Kiddstuff and Main Stage performances, volunteering to usher, participating in Next Gen summer camps as student actors, stage crew and teaching artists, and performing on stage. Inspired by the Hangar’s positive impact on her own family and on its performers, staff, patrons and future generations, she is excited to join the creative and passionate team of board members who work behind the scenes to support and promote the Hangar. Genna is a writer and editor in strategic communications at Cornell and also serves as a board member of the Trumansburg Education Foundation and editor for the Trumansburg Troubadour.

• 

  Jennifer Rubacky (She/Her)

  Jennifer joins the Hangar Board as a local artist/photographer, parent and theatre lover herself.  She first fell in love with Hangar through her daughter’s participation in the Next Generation School of Theatre’s summer camp in 2022. This program sparked a love for theatre in her daughter and since then she has gone on to perform professionally in the Hangar’s Mainstage shows, as well as R2P and her school productions.  Jennifer is deeply inspired by the impact that the Hangar has had on her daughter and is thrilled to play a more active role in supporting the theatre as a Board member.  Prior to pursuing photography full time, Jennifer spent over two decades working as a human resources/recruitment professional in the advertising, legal and staffing industries.

Emeritus

• • Kristen Burt

  • John Alexander

  • Julia Bonney

  • Dr. Jessica Casey

  • Andrea Fleck Clardy

  • Ann Costello

  • Roy Dexheimer

  • John Elliott

  • Mary Kane

  • Susan Kaplan

  • Linda Trees Mack

  • Tom Niederkorn (Deceased)

  • Kathryn (Katy) Pearce

  • Paula Peter

  • Ray Schlather

  • Shelley Semmler

  • Margaret Shackell

  • Laurel Southard

  • Jamie Wells

  • Joel Zumoff