ADDISON, TEX.: WaterTower Theatre has named Gregory Patterson its new managing director, effective immediately. Patterson has served as the company’s director of development and marketing for the past nine years.
The board created the role of managing director to reconfigure the company’s leadership structure, after when longtime artistic director Terry Martin gave his resignation; Martin will step down this summer after 17 years.
“It was clear from the beginning that Gregory Patterson, a highly accomplished arts executive, was the natural candidate to assume this important leadership role,” said board chair Derek Blount in a statement. “His extensive industry knowledge, his acumen in both fundraising and marketing plus his entrepreneurial experience have been on full display during his nine-year tenure with WaterTower Theatre. The board loves Greg’s combination of passion and enthusiasm and we have full confidence in his ability to lead WaterTower Theatre to new and exciting heights.”
Patterson began at WaterTower in 2008 as the director of development. During his tenure at the company, he has overseen a strategic development effort that now raises more than $1.2 million annually. Together with Martin, Patterson helped to raise the operational budget to $1.8 million. Prior to joining WaterTower, he held a variety of senior development, marketing, and communications roles with the American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, Los Angeles Opera, the Laguna Playhouse, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center, among other organizations. He serves on the board of the Addison Business Association, and was recently appointed to the board of the Aging Mind Foundation.
“I am deeply honored to be able to continue my work with this remarkable institution,” said Patterson in a statement. “WaterTower Theatre remains devoted to its mission of producing compelling, adventurous work, and to providing extraordinary theatre for our community. I look forward to working alongside our committed board of directors, our incredibly talented staff, and the new artistic director to help continue Terry Martin’s legacy, and to build on WaterTower Theatre’s already well-established reputation.”
