March 26, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2014
For more information,
Contact: Amanda Shell Jennings
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 255-0661
The Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation has appointed Becky Hancock as the permanent executive director. Hancock has served in the role in an interim capacity since November.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Becky to the Tennessee Theatre as our new permanent executive director,” said Foundation Board President Vince Fusco. “Her institutional knowledge about the venue as well as the historic theater and preservation industry as a whole, will be invaluable as we continue to elevate the Tennessee Theatre as a world-class center for arts and culture in Knoxville.”
As executive director of the foundation, Hancock will manage all aspects of annual fundraising and community outreach programs, including the Mighty Musical Monday organ concerts, First Friday Open House events, and the Youth Arts Alliance program for underprivileged schoolchildren. She will also work closely with the board of directors to oversee the management of the theatre, that presents more than 50 touring events each year, and to promote the non-profit mission of the foundation in the community.
The Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in 1996. A board of directors was formed and charged with preserving the historic building for generations to come as a community asset and center for arts and culture in Knoxville. Fulfilling this mission, the Tennessee Theatre is home to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and Knoxville Opera, and it is frequently rented by other local organizations.
Hancock previously served as general manager of the Tennessee Theatre from 2001 to 2007 and was part of a team that oversaw the comprehensive restoration project completed at the theater in 2005. After leaving in 2007, Hancock served as assistant director of the historic preservation advocacy group, Knox Heritage, focusing largely on fund development, marketing and special events.
At the theater, Hancock will carry forward her work in preservation and downtown revitalization in a new capacity.
“The Tennessee Theatre is one of Knoxville’s greatest preservation stories,” Hancock said. “My role here encompasses both my passion for preservation and my desire to expand arts and culture in Knoxville. It is wonderful to be welcomed home to the Tennessee Theatre.”
Hancock said her return to the theater was precipitated by a yearning to revisit her roots in performing arts and music.
“Being away from the arts scene for six years is long enough; I was ready to return,” said Hancock, a Knoxville native who studied music history and German at the University of Tennessee and spent six years in New York City working in performing arts administration.
Hancock is a graduate of Leadership Knoxville Class of 2006 and serves on the board of 91.9 Inc., an advocacy and support organization for WUOT. Previously she served on the boards of The Joy of Music School; the Historic Bijou Theatre Foundation; and Historic Rugby, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Victorian village in Morgan and Scott counties. She also remains active in the League of American Historic Theatres.
Hancock lives in the historic Old North Knoxville neighborhood with husband, Steve, and enjoys renovating her historic home and making music with friends. She has been an avid rower since 2001.
About the Tennessee Theatre
Located in the heart of downtown Knoxville, the Tennessee Theatre opened in 1928 as a movie palace. The Tennessee Theatre is the Official State Theatre of Tennessee and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Tennessee Theatre is the region’s leading performing arts center with advanced technology, staging and lighting that draws top entertainment to the Knoxville area.
