EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Richard M. Dee
Executive Director (bio)
314.534.5000 x102
rdee@dancestlouis.org

Michael Uthoff (bio)
Artistic Director
muthoff@dancestlouis.org 

STAFF

(in alphabetical order)

Julie Ballard
SPRING TO DANCE® Festival Stage Manager & Lighting Supervisor

Julie Ridge
Graphic Designer

Michele Ryan
Grant Writer
mryan@dancestlouis.org

Berrien Tedford
Finance & Office Manager
btedford@dancestlouis.org

Sarah Thompson
Marketing, PR, Advertising, Content Marketing & Media
Sarah Thompson, LLC          
info@sarahthompsonproductions.com
marketing@dancestlouis.org

Paige Van Nest
Education & SPRING TO DANCE® Festival Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President
Jesika Barnes, Senior Manager, Department of Professional Practice, KPMG

Treasurer
Katrina Pon, Risk Management Business Director, McCarthy Holdings, Inc.  

Secretary
Melinda Ligon, Retired Physician & Community Volunteer

Chairman Emeritus
Ken Kranzberg, Chairman, TricorBraun

Marie Bone, President, Key Resources, Inc.  
John Michael Clear, Senior Counsel, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Jon Deuchler, Executive Director, Transaction Models Reinsurance Group of America
Amy Eidelman, Eidelman Virant Capital
Priscilla Kurz, Community Volunteer
Brian Lowry, Deputy General Counsel, Monsanto Company/Bayer (retired)
Stephanie Lynch, PCM, Brand Marketer, Growth Driver, Omnichannel Strategist
Kimberly McBride, Principal, Edward Jones
Marcia Mellitz, Consulting services for entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology development instrumental in the development of CORTEX
Leigh Pratter, Community Volunteer
Joseph Robertson, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Mark Rynasiewicz, Senior Vice President, Private Client Group, Wells Fargo Advisors  
Donald Suggs, Publisher & Executive Editor, St. Louis American
Rush Robinson, Ph.D., President & Founder, St. Louis College of Health Careers  

PAST BOARD PRESIDENTS
Jennifer Davis
John Foley
Paul Kalsbeek
Richard Kluesner
Ken Kranzberg
Mark Lindgren
William Lortz
Kent Reynolds
Tom Voss
Richard Winter

ADVISORY BOARD
Susan Block, Owner, The Designing Block
Ramsey Botterman, Community Volunteer
Bert Condie, Community Volunteer
Steven Cousins, Partner, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
David Diener, Community Volunteer
Barbara Eagleton, Community Volunteer
Jean Gase, Community Volunteer
Judy Harris, Community Volunteer
Gary Hoemann, Retired Audit Partner, KPMG LLP
Mary Ann Hogan, Community Volunteer
Paul Kalsbeek, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
Richard Kluesner, Financial and Operation Officer, Financial Planning Consultants
Joanne Kohn, Community Volunteer
Mark Lindgren, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Chief Human Resources Officer, Ameren
Susan Luedke, MD, Mercy Cancer Care
Karen Myers, Senior Vice President, U.S. Bank
Jerrie House Plegge, Associate General Counsel, Anheuser-Busch InBev
Ruthe Ponturo, Community Volunteer
Eriko Clevenger Pope, Vice President of Global Marketing, Nestle Purina Pet Care
Lynn Ricci, Ricci Law Group
Peggy Ritter, Community Volunteer
Dorothea Rosner, Community Volunteer
Mary Rumy, Aldine Travel
Marsha Rusnack, Community Volunteer
Peter Sargent †, Dean, Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, Webster University
Connie Schnuck, Community Volunteer
Judi Shepard, Community Volunteer
Thad and Betty Simons, Community Volunteer
Mary Strauss, Community Volunteer
Philip Taxman, First Vice President, Merrill Lynch
Blanche M. Touhill, Community Volunteer
James Virtel, Retired Partner, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Michele Walter, Community Volunteer
Mary Worseck, Community Volunteer

LIFETIME MEMBERS
Bourne Bean †
Anne Blatherwick, Community Volunteer
Jean Maritz Hobler, Community Volunteer
Joy Melman, Community Volunteer
S. Lee McMillan †
Joan Wendt, Community Volunteer

FOUNDER
Annelise Mertz †

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Sally Brayley Bliss

† In Memoriam