( Ivins, UT—September 10, 2004) Tuacahn is pleased to announce that Hyrum W. Smith, a member of Tuacahn’s Board of Directors, will fill the post of Chief Executive Officer previously held by Fred Lampropoulos. Mr. Lampropoulos, who has been wearing the hat of both Chairman of the Board and CEO at Tuacahn, will continue as Chairman. The recent split of roles has been deemed advantageous by the Board in order to make better use of the leadership and management expertise inherent in its members.
As Chairman of the Board and CEO of Merit Medical, Lampropoulos has found it increasingly challenging to divide his time as Chairman and CEO of Tuacahn with being Chairman and CEO of Merit Medical.
Lampropoulos said of the change: “Tuacahn will be in great hands with Hyrum [Smith] as the CEO. I look forward to working closely with him on policy-making and management decisions.”
Hyrum Smith, former Chairman of Franklin Covey, has been a member of the Tuacahn Board of Directors since its founding in 1992. “I’m excited at the opportunity of working with the troops.”
Smith has already spent considerable time with the “troops” over the last several days getting individual input about how to continue progressing forward in accomplishing Tuacahn’s mission.
“The decision to divide the Chairman and CEO roles between two ‘leadership powerhouses’ is mutually beneficial to everyone involved,” says Tuacahn Board Member Jonathon Hafen. “Tuacahn greatly benefited under Fred’s executive direction and will now benefit from Hyrum’s leadership and vision. Both men have been instrumental in helping Tuacahn achieve its mission to provide great family entertainment and quality arts education.”
Smith speaks enthusiastically about the Tuacahn’s fall production of Singin’ in the Rain, which opened September 16 th and runs through October 16th. He is also looking forward to celebrating Tuacahn’s ten-year anniversary in 2005 with two Broadway
favorites, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and, back by popular demand, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. “We’re really excited about celebrating our tenth year. The fact that Tuacahn has survived and excelled over the last ten years is a real tribute to the Southern Utah community. We hope to continue to have a positive impact in the community for years to come.”
As Tuacahn’s CEO, Smith will be responsible for overseeing both the Center for the Arts and the Tuacahn High school with a combined total budget of approximately $4 million a year. Tuacahn employs over 40 year-round employees and approximately 225 seasonal employees. Almost a million patrons have enjoyed Tuacahn’s productions since its opening in 1995, and it is estimated that Tuacahn’s theatre season contributes over $10 million to the local economy.
In addition to its summer/fall theatre season, Tuacahn presents concerts in the spring and late fall. The Center also produces a live Nativity as part of its Christmas Festival of Lights in November/December. This year, in the Tuacahn Amphitheatre, Odyssey Dance Theatre will present its Halloween dance concert entitled THRILLER on October 18 & 19 and its Joy to the World dance concert on December 3, 2004. Tickets for Singin’ in the Rain, Odyssey Dance Theatre and next year’s shows are on sale now at the Tuacahn Box Office (1-800-746-9882, 435-652-3300). For more information see the Tuacahn website at www.tuacahn.org. |
