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 Fraser, Hartwell & Trutner
• 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 Committee (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

Renee Best

• Realtor. CRS, GRI, SRES, e-PRO, Intero Real Estate Services
• Member Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR)
• Member Bay East Association of Realtors (BEAR)

Education:

• B.A. Interior Design and Graphics Arts
• A.S. Business Administration
• Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
• Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
• Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES)
• Electronic Professional (e-PRO)

Dr. Philip Manwell

• Dean of Academic Services, Las Positas College
• Soloist, Chamber Player, Conductor, throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, Australia, and the Far East Recordings (Orion, Musical Heritage, Nonesuch), Radio (NBC, Austrian National Radio, BBC) and Television (Public Broadcasting) appearances, U.S. and Europe
• Music and Humanities Faculty – Las Positas College, since 1986
• Administrator – Las Positas College, since 1992

Education:

• Doctor of Education, University of San Francisco
• Bachelor of Music, Masters of Science and Doctoral Studies, the Julliard School
• Diplomas (organ and composition), The Paris Conservatory

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, Pixar Animation Studios
• 20 years experience in post production, including features, TV and trailers
• Credits include Toy Story 3, Cars, Monsters, Inc., Men in Black, and Get Shorty

Education:

• BA in Communications, Syracuse University

Lynn Seppala

• President of Livermore Board, Pacific Chamber Symphony
• Board Member, Las Positas College Foundation
• Board Member, Friends of the Vineyards