DENVER: The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) has named Janice Sinden its president and chief executive officer. Sinden will step into the role on Sept. 12, taking over for Scott Shiller.

“Janice’s exceptional leadership skills and passion for building strong community connections are a perfect complement to the DCPA’s renewed values,” said board chairman Daniel L. Ritchie in a statement. “She will lead our talented staff as we place our customers first in everything we do, foster theatrical innovation and excellence, and advance diversity and inclusion in our programming and staff. Her business acumen combined with her significant public service make her the right choice at the right time.”

Sinden previously served for five years as Denver mayor Michael B. Hancock’s chief of staff, where she managed 60 appointees and 26 departments, handled day-to-day needs of running the city, and raised funds for the administration’s priority initiatives. Prior to that, she served as executive director of Colorado Concern, an alliance of executives from across the state with a common interest in enhancing and protecting Colorado’s business climate.

“We will work collaboratively to build upon a nearly 40-year history of excellence to ensure that theatre is open, accessible and welcoming to all facets of our community,” Sinden said in a statement. “By expanding the DCPA’s extensive theatre education programs, deepening the organization’s focus on diversity and inclusion, and infusing the city with cultural opportunities that not only entertain but also stimulate the economy, we will ensure that generations to come will experience the best in the dramatic arts right in their own backyard.”