Chad Cronon - Board President; Law Office of C. Chad Cronon P.A.
chadcronon.com
chadcronon@hotmail.com
Chad Cronon has been on the Fringe Board of Directors for the past 8 years. He is thrilled to serve his second term as President. Prior to serving as President, Chad was the Vice President of the Fringe for three years.
Chad believes that the arts are a sacred part of the human experience. He especially loves the Fringe because the festival provides an open space where artists can create their crafts in an uncensored and unjuried environment of artistic freedom.
Chad is a practicing litigation attorney who specializes in representing individuals accused of criminal offenses. He graduated with a Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Florida College of Law, and he also holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Florida.
Chad has been the lead attorney in numerous criminal jury trials and opened his own law practice in downtown Orlando in 2003. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Central Florida, teaching in the Legal Studies and Criminal Justice Department. Recently, he was appointed as a Director of the Central Florida Association Criminal Defense Lawyers
After growing up in Central Florida, Chad lives with his partner Matthew and their dogs Louie & Julian in downtown Orlando.
Kelly Daniel – Board Vice-President; University of Central Florida Foundation
A native of the Lone Star State, Kelly arrived on the campus of Stetson University in the fall of 1987 and began her more than 20 year involvement in the Central Florida arts and culture scene. From her earliest days as a Theater major, to her ten years as a leading figure in the Southeastern decorative arts community, Kelly has devoted most of her waking hours to the expansion and promotion of the visual and performing arts in Central Florida.
After operating successful boutiques specializing in the American Craftsman and Mid-century Modernist periods, Kelly moved to the world of fine art and joined the staff of the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). Following a meteoric rise through the ranks of the OMA’s development organization, Kelly joined the University of Central Florida Foundation in 2007 as Assistant Director of Annual Giving. At the Foundation, Kelly led the UCF Annual Fund in its most successful marketing and direct mail campaigns. Due to her exceptional efforts leading the university’s first comprehensive faculty and staff campaign, the UCF Annual Fund was honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the prestigious “Excellence in Fundraising by a Nonprofit Institution” award. In the summer of 2008, Kelly accepted the position of Director of Development for Scholarships and Endowments at the UCF Foundation, charged with raising support for National Merit Scholars.
In addition to her work at UCF, Kelly’s frenetic schedule includes serving as Chair of Nominations and Awards for National Philanthropy Day, a board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals where she is Chair of Directorships and Governance, as well as active participation in several local and national civic, arts and educational organizations. Kelly is a Certified Volunteer Manager through the United Way and the Points of Light Foundation, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and Humanities and is pursuing both a Masters in Business Administration and the CFRE certification in fundraising.
Kelly was named to Orlando Fringe Festival’s Board of Directors in 2006. As its current Vice-President, Kelly is thrilled at the opportunity to promote the Fringe’s mission to make theater accessible to all and to continue her two decades of work bringing the best in arts and culture to our Central Florida community.
Gary S. Israel - Secretary
Gary Israel received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Florida Holland Law School, Gainesville, Florida in 1978. He has been praticising law for the past 28 years and been a sole practicioner since 1981. He specializes in family, criminal and appellate law. Additionally, he has taught various law classes at Valencia Community College and the University of Phoenix in Orlando.
His theatrical experience includes acting in such plays as Arsenic and Old Lace, You Can't Take it With You, Chorus of Oklahoma, Towards Zero, A Murder Is Announced and The Man Who Came To Dinner and directing Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty.
Gary relocated to Orlando from Palm Beach County in 2005 with his wife Merryle, to whom he has been married for 22 years. They have two children, Ryan and Amanda
Michael Garvey - Treasurer; Siemens Power Generation
Michael Garvey joins the Orlando Fringe board for the first time after over eight years of volunteering in various roles for the Festival, the last three acting as the Box Office Manager. Michael's full-time job is as a marketing manager for Siemens Power Generation, supporting a multi-million dollar product line. This experience will be invaluable as he assumes the roles of Treasurer for the Board, along with the two years he served in the same capacity for another non-profit performing arts organization in Central Florida, the Women Playwrights' Initiative. Michael also is a produced playwright with numerous production credits to his name since becoming a playwright over four years ago, bridging both the artistic and financial worlds.
Lisa Curtis; Orange County Public School, Educator
Lisa was born in a “Little House on the Prairie” -- well it was a small resort town in Iowa anyway. Her hometown, Clear Lake , IA has two distinctions: it's where Buddy Holly played his last gig (and later made an unscheduled landing in a farmer's field) and it is just next door to Mason City , the home of Meredith Wilson of “Music Man” fame.
Lisa attended the University of Iowa , graduating with a BA in Elementary Education and Spanish, with a minor in Linguistics. She taught English in Bogota , Columbia , before moving back to the U.S. to concentrate on teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). She has been an English instructor with Orange County Public Schools for over 20 years and recently received her Masters Degree in TESOL from the University of Central Florida .
When not teaching (or preparing or grading), Lisa is busy with her Neighborhood Association and volunteering for various arts/theater groups around town. Lisa spends her spare time with her husband, James traveling to all points south. Lisa and James have three boys: Ux, Pyewacket, and Peri; all three have four paws, whiskers, and like to present tiny hairballs as presents to their mom.
Lisa is honored to serve on the Orlando Fringe board. After volunteering for the last ten years and attending the Fringe for many years before that, she looks forward helping the Fringe continue to be the oldest and best Fringe in the country.
Wes Hoaglund; GAI Consultants, Inc.
vote4wes.com
Wes Hoaglund is Urban Planner and avid Fringe patron. He’s seen 20-30 shows a year since the very first Orlando Fringe. The Fringe is Wes’s favorite week of the year! He appeared in Tales of the Mundane at the 2003 Fringe and hopes to have time to perform at the Fringe again.
A truly urban citizen, Wes has lived in the downtown area for almost 20 years – he tells people that; “He was downtown before downtown was cool!” Between shows you can find Wes in the beer tent entertaining friends and artists with his repertoire of jokes and funny stories.
When he’s not at the Fringe he’s busy helping cities, counties and developers create more wonderful communities throughout Central Florida. He’s a University of Wisconsin graduate with majors in Urban Planning, Economics and Political Science with a Masters in Economic Planning and Environmental Administration.
Matt McGrath
Matt McGrath is thrilled to have the opportunity to join the board this year. He has been an avid Orlando Fringe Festival attendee for many years. He has attended the festival since it was located downtown and has watched it grow to its current location at Loch Have Park.
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Matt has lived in the Orlando area for over 20 years. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1998 with a B.A. in Accounting. Matt is the Vice President of lease administration for a commercial aircraft leasing company, where he has been employed for 14 years.
Each year, Matt has found himself going to more and more shows and doesn't miss a day during the week the festival is in town. He encourages not only those who are already “fringers” to attend shows, but he also promotes the fringe to newcomers. As a neighbor to the festival, he is honored to be a part of the board and looks forward to working with such an amazing organization.
Mike Blake
Mike Blake is originally from Long Island New York where he received a BA in Liberal Arts from SUNY Stony Brook. Mike's hardest class there was an acting class where he learned to soften his Long Island accent. He now lives in College Park where he runs the web application
company AppTrain Software. The only acting Mike does now is acting like he knows what he's doing.
After seeing a couple dozen shows in the 2007 Fringe, Mike was convinced Orlando had something special to offer artists and patrons that is missing from bigger cities.? Mike was happy to volunteer time to support the Fringe website in 2008, and is looking forward to
serving on the Orlando Fringe board and helping the Fringe continue to grow and reach more people in Florida.
Darci Safreed – Darden Restaurants
In only took a few performances this past summer for Darci to fall completely in love with the festival and decide to serve on its Board of Directors. A native of California and new to the Fringe, Darci is fully committed to the organization’s mission of 100% uncensored, 100% unjuried and 100% of the ticket sales going back to the artists. Before Darci discovered the festival, her volunteer efforts have benefited; Seniors First, Turkey Trot, Volunteer UCF, and Scooters-4-Hooters.
A business systems analyst for Darden Restaurants, Darci holds a degree in Business and Behavioral Science and will complete the MBA program at the University of Central Florida in August 2009. Darci’s great sense of humor, volunteer experience and extensive financial background combine to make her an excellent addition to the Fringe Festival’s Board of Directors.
