Board of Directors
Shakespeare’s Associates Board of Directors and Staff
Elizabeth E. Trutner (Beth)
Chairman of the Board and Personnel Committee
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law
- Certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization since 1995
- Principal in the firm Trutner Law Offices
- Member, Eastern Alameda County Bar Association
- Member, Alameda County Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of California (Member of the Probate and Estate Planning Section)
- Past President, Tri Valley Estate Planning Council
Education:
- San Francisco Law School, graduated with honors
- Bachelor of Arts, University of California at Davis
Lisa A. Tromovitch
President/Producing Artistic Director
- Theater Director, over 20 years professional experience, seven states
- Nineteen (19) years management experience professional non-profit
- Tenured Faculty, Chair, University of the Pacific, Dept. of Theatre Arts
- Member Theatre Services Committee of Theatre Bay Area
- Member Shakespeare Theatre Association (1998 – present), Chair Artistic Focus Group (current)
Education:
- MFA in Directing, Meadows School of the Arts, SMU
- BA, Magna cum laude, Dartmouth College, Phi Beta Kappa
Volunteer experience includes:
- Executive Committee of Board of Directors, Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Founding Chair, Bangor Region Arts Council
- Selection Committee, Playwrights Foundation, Bay Area Playwrights Festival
- Board of Directors, Dartmouth Club of Greater San Francisco
- University service includes Pacific Humanities Scholars Task Force and Writing in the Disciplines Board
Russell Marcel
Ex-Officio Member, Director of Education
- Educator/Director, Theatre Arts
- Teacher: Shakespeare, British Literature, and Acting at Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose
- Director and Tech Director for Bellarmine Theatre Arts
- Department Chair: Visual & Performing Arts Department, Bellarmine College Prep
- Theater Director/Actor, 14 years professional experience: Bay Area, New York City, London
- Artistic Associate, Shakespeare’s Associates, since 2009
- Director of Development, Renegade Theatre Experience, 2003-2004
Education:
- BA in Theatre Arts, Santa Clara University
- Graduate, London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (LAMDA)
- First Year Classical Acting Program
Patricia Munro
Secretary/Treasurer
- Served on Leadership Committee of Union of Reform Judaism Lay Board in Northern California
- Served as President, Membership and Education Chair at Congregation Beth Emek
- Hebrew and Judaic Studies Teacher
- Volunteer with Shakespeare’s Associates since 2002
Education:
- MA in Jewish Studies from San Francisco State University
- BS in Communication Studies from Northwestern University
- Currently a Doctoral Candidate at University of California, Berkeley in Sociology
- Winner of Berman Dissertation Fellowship for 2011-2012
Garry Rodrigue
- Owner/Winemaker – Rodrigue Molyneaux Estate Vineyard and Winery
- Emeritus Professor of Applied Science – University of California, Davis
- Member of the Livermore Valley Wine Growers Association
- Member of the Livermore Chamber of Commerce
Education:
- Ph.D. Applied Mathematics, University of Southern California
Dave Wright
- Founding Commissioner for the City of Pleasanton Civic Arts Commission (1997-2002)
- Past President of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society of the U.S. and Canada
- Past President of the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council for 3 years; member for 14 years
- Designer of the Youth Excellence in Arts (Y.E.A.!) Awards
- Creator and Editor of the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council Newsletter “Arts in Season”
- Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council Grant Writer
- Member of the “Firehouse Arts Center” Task Force
- Co-Producer of the Pleasanton Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival
Education:
- M.A. Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College, Vermont
- B.A. English, University of California at Berkeley
- Graduate Studies and 3 Sabbaticals in England, Japan and Greece
- English Emeritus from Chabot College and Las Positas College/Community Library Anthology for 20 years
- Past Coordinator of Humanities and Arts (5 years) and Academic Senate President at Las Positas College
- Co-Designer of the English Centers at Chabot and Las Positas Colleges
John Zukoski
- Senior Manager, Robert Half International Inc.
- Founder and Co-Publisher, Around Dublin Blog
- President (2010-2011), Rotary Club of Dublin
- Treasurer, Tassajara Prep High School Site Board
- Former Secretary, Dublin Ranch Terraces HOA Board of Directors
- Advisor, Pleasanton Camp Galileo Advisory Board
Education:
- MBA, San Jose State University
- BBA, Boise State University
- Certified Management Accountant
Administrative Staff:
Katie Marcel
Administrative Director
- Assistant Director, Livermore Downtown, Inc. (6 years)
- City of Livermore Commission for the Arts
- Actor, Musical Theater Performer, various venues in NYC, 1997-2002
- Associate Talent Manager, Vanguard Management NYC, 2000-2002
Education:
- BA in Theatre Arts, Santa Clara University
- Musical Theater Workshop, CAP 21, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, 1996
Shakespeare’s Associates Advisory Board
Barbara Mertes
- Board of Trustes, Chabot/Las Positas Community College District
- Board of Directors, ValleyCare Health System
- Secretary, Board of Directors, Livermore Chamber of Commerce
Education:
- PhD University of California, Berkeley
- MA San Francisco State University
- BA University of California, Berkeley
Jim Ott
- President and CEO, UNCLE Credit Union
- Adjunct English professor, Las Positas College
- Past President, Livermore Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Founding member, Las Positas College Foundation
- Board of Trustees, Pleasanton Unified School District
Ken Ross
- Faculty, Theater Arts Department, Las Positas College
Ken Schretzmann
- Film Editor, member of American Cinema Editors
- Illumination Entertainment (Universal Studios): The Lorax
- Pixar Animation Studios: Toy Story 3, Cars, Monsters Inc.
- Assistant Editing: Men in Black, Get Shorty, Fried Green Tomatoes
- 27 years editing experience – features, TV and trailers
- A.C.E. Eddie Award – Best Edited Animated Feature, Toy Story 3
Education:
- BA Syracuse University, New York
Lynn Seppala
- President of Livermore Board, Pacific Chamber Symphony
- Board Member, Las Positas College Foundation
- Board Member, Friends of the Vineyards

Russell Marcel as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Concannon Vineyard. Costumes by Cathie McClellan.




