MOUNT VERNON — Last year, the boards of Knox Partnership for Arts and Culture and the Woodward Development Corp. combined to act as one board under “The Woodward Opera House.”
As a result of the collaboration, the board named Dena Hess as managing director of the entity. Hess will oversee all events, public and private, as well as the daily business operations.
Under her direction, The Woodward Opera House will maintain tenants, continue operating a commercial kitchen, and maintain the historical nature of the building. Hess will also approve and operate all added events within the venues, including the main theater.
In addition, the board hired Kyler Dickey as the facility supervisor. Dickey will assist Dena with mechanical oversight as well as event set up and operations.
“While the task has been handled for several months, we were made aware that an official announcement had not been made and we needed to do so,” Larry Grindle, board president, said.
“As a combined board we plan to move forward with our mission of keeping community at the heart of all operations. Our goal is to provide a safe and professional environment for all of our tenants. We wish to promote their businesses and help in any way possible to offer them a great space in which to operate.”
Grindle said that having the added opportunity to utilize the event spaces within The Woodward Opera House building, the board hopes to give the community and local talent a great place in which to perform.
“We have several community partners that work with us under Dena’s direction, and that has been extremely successful,” Grindle said. “We are grateful for our tenants, board members and employees who continue to flourish in The Woodward Opera House.”