ABOUT US
The Maryland Center for the Arts, Inc. believes in the following values:
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integrity by providing honest and transparent interaction with donors, grantors, government agencies, and other arts organizations.
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collaboration, recognizing that diverse perspectives and talents working together amplify creativity and enrich our community.
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community, fostering connections and shared experiences through the arts, uniting individuals for a shared purpose.
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compassion, using the transformative power of art to empathetically connect with others, fostering understanding within our community.
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diversity, celebrating and embracing the multitude of cultures, backgrounds, and ideas within our community, enriching artistic expression and fostering inclusivity.
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creativity as the driving force behind advancing the arts, inspiring new ideas to shape the cultural landscape of our community.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Carolyn Wilson Evans, Esq.
Board President
Carolyn Wilson Evans is an attorney with the Law Offices of Anthony J. DiPaula, PA, maintaining a general civil practice serving Harford, Baltimore, and Cecil Counties for over 20 years. Her practice areas include corporate formation, business transactions, trusts and estates, bankruptcy, and general litigation. She currently serves on the Boards of Harford Bank and the Rockfield Foundation. A past president of both the Chesapeake Professional Women's Network and Harford County Chamber of Commerce, Carolyn received the Athena Award in 2016 and was named to the Daily Record's Top 100 Women in 2008 and 2018. She served as Co-Chair of Dancing for the Arts from 2014–2021.
Anthony "Tony" Lisuzzo
Vice President
Tony Lisuzzo serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager of East Coast Operations for Shipcom Federal Solutions, LLC. His career bridges industry and government in the research, design, and deployment of electronic and cyber defense systems. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President within Joint Research and Development and Vice President of Defense, Intelligence, and Strategic Innovation with Booz Allen Hamilton, managing a $250M portfolio. Tony also served as a Senior Executive Service Member with the U.S. Army, directing Intelligence and Information Warfare with a $1.5B portfolio. He chaired numerous NATO technology committees and received NATO's Science and Technology R&D Award.
Cynthia Hergenhahn
Vice President for Fundraising, Dancing for the Arts Gala Co-Chair
Cynthia Hergenhahn is owner of Events by I Did it Myself, specializing in nonprofit events and galas for over 25 years. She serves on the Harford County Library Foundation Board, the Liriodendron Foundation Board, and is President of the Abingdon Library Friends. She also serves as budget analyst for Harford County Council, District F. A former Harford County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year, Cynthia is a proud Harford Leadership Academy graduate. She and her husband George reside in Harford County.
George Hergenhahn
Treasurer
George Hergenhahn brings decades of financial management experience from nonprofit and government agencies. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial Officer for Special Olympics Maryland, managing a statewide budget exceeding $8 million. Prior roles include budget management for Baltimore City Housing Authority, the Office of Homeless Services, and Baltimore County Public Schools. Since retiring, George has volunteered with Special Olympics Maryland, Maryland Center for the Arts, Baltimore County Sailing Center, and Harford County Public Library. He and his wife Cynthia live in Abingdon and enjoy traveling, skiing, and community involvement.
Claudine Adams
Board Member, Dancing for the Arts Gala Committee
Claudine Adams is President and CEO of Bravura Information Technology Systems, Inc., which she founded in 2014. Under her leadership, Bravura secured the $539M Persistent Surveillance System Tethered Contract and received the Harford County Chamber of Commerce Business Award in R&D/Technology (2020). She chairs the Northern Maryland Technology Council Board and the Harford County Education Foundation, and serves on the Harford Community College Board and Harford County Public Schools Advisory Board. A 2019 Visionary Award recipient, she serves on Comptroller Peter Franchot's Business Advisory Council and the Aberdeen Economic Development Commission. Claudine holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Theology from Calvary Christian College.
Jon Bellantoni, M.D.
Board Member, Construction Committee
Dr. Jon Bellantoni returned to his hometown of Havre de Grace in 1988 to join the Ob-Gyn practice of his father, Dr. Leopold Bellantoni. Under his leadership, Susquehanna Ob-Gyn has delivered over 25,000 babies to families across northeastern Maryland. A graduate of Harford Day School, John Carroll, Yale University, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Jon has served on the boards of John Carroll School, Maryland Conservatory of Music, Birthright, and the Society of Italian American Businessmen. Jon and his wife Michele, residents of Bel Air for 35 years, are 2011 Dancing for the Arts Celebrity Dancer alumni.
Terri Bostock
Secretary
Terri Bostock is Branch Manager and AVP at First National Bank in Abingdon, where she has worked for six years. A Harford County native with 13 years in banking, she specializes in helping small businesses grow. Passionate about the arts, Terri has volunteered with numerous community organizations and served as a Celebrity Dancer in the 2020 Dancing for the Arts Gala. Her daughters Ashley and Shannon are musicians and visual artists.
Jon Kohler
Board Member, Music Festival Committee Chair
Jon Kohler is Chef and Owner of Pairings Bistro, a popular restaurant, wine shop, and catering business. A graduate of Johnson and Wales University with degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, Jon honed his skills in Maryland hotels and restaurants before working as a manager for a fine wine distributor. His culinary expertise includes a strong Belgian influence developed through visits to his wife Sandy's family in Brussels. Jon is a longtime supporter of Harford County charities.
Larry Noto
Board Member, Capital Campaign Committee
Larry Noto owns Music Land in Bel Air, recognized as one of the Top 100 Music Stores and awarded Best Store Turnaround by the National Association of Music Merchants. Founded by his father Joe Noto in 1971, Larry left a tourism marketing career—including roles at the National Aquarium, Harbor Magic Hotels, and Visit Baltimore—to continue the family legacy. A professional stand-up comedian who has performed with headliners in New York and Las Vegas, Larry authored "The Opening Act: Comedy, Life and the Desperate Pursuit of Happiness" with Kevin Cowherd. He serves on the Harford County Cultural Arts Board and Scottfield Theatre Company Board.
Robert G. Rich
Board Member, Construction Committee
Robert Rich is a realtor with the Rich and Rich Group of Exit Preferred Realty alongside his wife, Linda Greco Rich. A former jeweler with 25 years in the industry at Saxon's Diamond Centers, he has served on the Maryland Center for the Arts Gala Committee for three years. Robert and Linda were top fundraisers for the 2015 Dancing for the Arts Gala. Previously residing in Connecticut, he volunteered with the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Boy Scouts of America, and St. Luke's Community Center.
Dr. Mary Teddy Wray
Board Member, Dancing for the Arts Gala Co-Chair
Dr. Mary Teddy Wray is CEO and owner of Laurel Bush Family Dentistry in Bel Air. She received her DDS from Georgetown University. Committed to mentoring women and children, she serves on the boards of S.A.R.C. of Harford County and Harford Friends School. Her honors include the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award from the Association for Fundraising Professionals (2014), the Athena Award (2014), and Maryland's Top 100 Women by the Daily Record (2014). She was Top Fundraiser for the 2010 Dancing for the Arts Gala.
Rachel Hall
Musician
Rachel Hall is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for her powerhouse voice, with fans comparing her to Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Brandi Carlile, and Janis Joplin. She leads The Rachel Hall Band and performs with Carl Filipiak & The Jimi Jazz Band, as well as solo, duo, and trio shows featuring covers and originals. A third-generation musician, Rachel's grandfather Chick Hall Sr. recorded with Glenn Miller and owned Chick Hall's Surf Club, which hosted legends including Roy Clark, Patsy Cline, and Charlie Daniels. Her maternal grandfather, Kimble Blair, was a fixture of the Baltimore bluegrass scene for 50 years, playing fiddle with Del McCoury and others. Rachel began performing at age 4 and was gigging professionally by 17. She released her collaborative album "Ashes" with The Damsels in 2006 and launched The Rachel Hall Band in 2021. A lifelong advocate for live music, Rachel is deeply rooted in the Harford County and Baltimore musical communities.
Honorary Board of Trustees
Jim Butcher
Founder, Artist
Tobias Musser
Director Emeritus
Richard Chisolm
Cinematographer, Director
Mrs. Virginia M. Dresher*
Philanthropist, The Dresher Foundation
Clarisse B. Mechanic*
Owner, Mechanic Theater
Philanthropist, Morris A Mechanic Foundation
Johnathon Schaech
Actor, Writer, Producer
Beatrice Ward
Philanthropist & Arts Advocate
*Deceased
Staff
Robert "Bob" Willenbrink, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Dr. Bob Willenbrink is the Founding Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Missouri Western State University. He holds a Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University and began his career at Hazard Community College, where he founded the Hazard Summer Playhouse. As Chair and Director of Theatre at the University of Central Arkansas, he created the Youth Theatre of Central Arkansas, served as national director of the ARC Performing Arts Institute for disabled artists, and founded ACTS, a theatre performance troupe for disabled performers. Dr. Willenbrink has directed over 85 productions and served as artistic director for Kincaid Regional Theatre and Department Head and Producer/Director for Missouri State's Equity Tent Theatre. His leadership roles include Chair of Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region VI, the Kentucky Humanities Council Board, and First Vice President of the Jenny Wiley Theatre. He received the Kennedy Center Bronze Medallion for Service and the Distinguished Creative Production Award at Morehead State University.
bwillenbrink@mdcfa.org
office: 443-567-5216
Amelia "Amy" Nelson Riley, MPA
Cultural Events Manager
Amy Riley brings extensive experience in dance, arts administration, and education to her role. She trained at Point Park University and the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts, and spent summers at the Chautauqua Institution, where she assisted the Chautauqua Ballet and Theatre companies and wrote for The Chautauquan Daily. Amy graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Goucher College with a Dance major concentrating in Dance History and Criticism, where she interned at the NYPL Performing Arts/Dance Archives and performed with Choregraphie Antique. She earned her Master's in Public Administration from American University, graduating Pi Alpha Alpha, and recently completed Cornell University's Women in Leadership Certificate. Amy is a certified Pilates Method instructor and former Director of Goucher College's Pilates Center. She has also completed graduate coursework in K-12 Guidance and Counseling at Loyola University Maryland and worked with the Harford County Education Foundation. Amy volunteers with community organizations like the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Harford County Public Schools PTA.
office: 443-567-5216