Board Members
Friends of the Lied Executive Board
- Honorary President: Christina Hixson
- President: Erin Whitehurst
- Past-President: Dick Flynn
- Treasurer: Melissa Peterson
- 2024–25 Campaign Chair: Tim Metz
2023–24 Friends of the Lied Board Members
- Beverly Smith Billings
- Dave Domann
- Will Duncan
- Lee Eldridge
- Betsy Esch
- Mark Gleeson
- Carol Hampton
- Ray Hummert
- Jane Imber
- John Kennedy
- Sophie Lamb
- Karla Leeper
- Julie Popiel
- Dr. Scott Robinson
- Colin Roust
- Lindsey Slater
- Kelly Walker
- Derek Kwan, Executive Director
Our Team
Derek Kwan began his tenure as the Executive Director of the Lied Center of Kansas in January 2014. Derek came to the Lied Center from Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he served as Vice President of Concerts & Touring. In this role, he managed all activities related to performances under the Jazz at Lincoln Center brand, including the NYC season at Rose Theater and the Appel Room, worldwide touring of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and nightly sets at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola. Derek previously worked for Interlochen Center for the Arts as the Executive Director of Interlochen Presents and also served as the Associate Director of Programming & Concert Operations for Jazz at Lincoln Center in the early 2000's. While earning his MBA at the University of Wisconsin, Derek served as the Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Wisconsin Union Theater. Prior to working in the arts, he worked for the IT consulting firm Accenture. A voting member of the Recording Academy, he has production credits on over 60 albums, including the Grammy-winning Bebo De Cuba and NY Times Album of the Year Lagrimas Negras. Derek has served as President of the Advisory Board of the University of Wisconsin's Bolz Center for Arts Administration and is a former board member for the Boston nonprofit arts organization, Inspire Arts & Music. In Kansas, he is proud to serve as a board member for KU Innovation Park, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, LMH Health Foundation and advisory board member for Kansas Public Radio.
Staff Roster
Administration
- Derek Kwan, Executive Director
- Kelli Szrot, Development Director
- Diane Hunter, SSC Human Resources Specialist
Marketing
- Brad Knauss, Marketing Director
- Shala Stevenson, Creative Director
- *Aleyna Hein, Graphic Design Intern
- Betsy Ostrander, Marketing Communications Coordinator
- *Kai Achen, Webmaster Intern
Engagement
- Anthea Scouffas, Engagement/Education Director
Events & Audience Services
- Kate Lorenz, Senior Events & Audience Services Director
- Ellie Wallace, Events & Operations Manager
- Kim Spencer, Box Office & Events Manager
- Jake Gillespie, Events & Box Office Coordinator
- *Lizzie Bagby, Student Events Assistant
- *Alex Boehlje, Student Events Assistant
- *Sarah Gabriel, Student Events Assistant
- *Michelle Hess, Student Events Assistant
- *Sage Houldsworth, Student Events Assistant
- *Tess Miller, Student Events Assistant
- *Grant Morris, Student Events Assistant
- *Elizabeth Mooney, Student Events Assistant
- *Rose Pennington, Student Events Assistant
- *Cali Rhodes, Student Events Assistant
- *Maddi Sattler, Student Events Assistant
- *Logan Whitt, Student Events Assistant
- *Lizzy Wood, Student Events Assistant
Operations
- Danny Bowman, Asst. Custodial Supervisor
- Heather Ashburn, Building Attendant
- Scout Branden, Building Attendant
- KC McNeely, Building Attendant
- Wade Schuler, Building Attendant
Technical
- Ann Hause, Technical Director
- Reece Dickson, Asst. Technical Director
- Isa Kretschmer, Asst. Technical Director
- Renee Huey, Asst. Technical Director
- Ian Bradt, Technical Supervisor
- Christian Cooley, Technical Supervisor
- Kimma Edwards, Technical Supervisor
- Maya Griswold, Technical Supervisor
- Cooper Hicks, Technical Supervisor
- Connor Lumpkin, Technical Supervisor
- Hillary McPherson, Technical Supervisor
- Nicholas Monroe, Technical Supervisor
- Shay Phillips, Technical Supervisor
- Libby Stratton, Technical Supervisor
Stagehands
- *Elliott Akerstrom
- *Jonathan Akerstrom
- *Sam Angell
- *Abina Arshad
- *River Becker
- *Hannah Bernhard
- *Shreya Bhatia
- *Sankalp Bhosale
- *Zack Black
- John Bloom
- Liney Blubaugh
- *Ella Broasseau
- *Seth Bruey
- Jack Bryan
- *Emma Caldwell
- *Ryan Campbell
- *Lilly Capen
- Sydney Cheek
- Cyric Dow
- *Zoe English
- *Annie Fischer
- *Sage Goering
- *Anne Gomer
- *MJ Gruman
- *Sara Gurske
- Nora Hause
- *Aneko Havener
- David Hedrick
- *Rae Hoft
- *Bretton Hoover
- *Khizer Hussain
- *Sean Ingram
- *Aiyana Jones
- *Keegan Kaiser
- *Nick Kaster
- *Gabe Kirk
- *Tamar Kopadze
- *Sophia Leis
- *Sam Leopold
- *Corin Loo
- *Andrew McFerrin
- *Maren Meneley
- Marlee Moeder
- *Mitchell Monroe
- *Elijah Nessel
- Colin Neukirch
- *Jack Newlin
- *Robbie Nichols
- *Lena Pendleton
- Curtis Quinn
- *Sam Richter
- *Angie Robledo
- *August Rowse
- *Emily Rupert
- *Owen Russell
- *Siri Schwarz
- *Brogan Scott
- *Emma Shockey
- *Nicholas Sibert
- *D Snyder
- Simon Stevens
- *Chuck Stillian
- *Reilly Straatmann
- *M Taylor
- Nancy Tran
- *Teddy Tran
- *Josh Waldron
- Jen Walker
- *Lauren Washburn
- *Sydney Watson
- *Nick Webb
- *Sadie Weigel
- Brayden Yoder-Mulkey
Become a Volunteer Usher
Come to the New Usher Orientation on Friday, August 30 at 5:45pm to learn about what Lied Center ushers do, get a tour of the building and join the Volunteer Usher Corps yourself!
We started ushering so we could see all the great shows but then we fell in love with the whole Lied experience. We love being a part of this place! — Cliff and Carol Wallace
- Cliff and Carol Wallace
Volunteer ushers play a very important role as the face of the organization. They greet patrons, take tickets, provide directions and establish a welcoming environment at the Lied Center.
If you have questions, or would like to become a volunteer usher, contact us at liedushers@ku.edu, 785-864-2790 or 785-864-1997
Usher Corps
- Ann Alexander
- Dody Anderson
- Marolyn Anderson
- Tolu Ayo
- Braiden Bangalan
- Dorothy Bechtel
- Donte Bell
- Benjamin Berlin
- Saoirse Boyd
- Alisa Branham
- Marilyn Brobst
- Vern Brobst
- Michael Butell
- Suzi Cammon
- Susan Carden
- Beth Chambers
- Maggie Chipman
- Rob Claassen
- Rose Claassen
- Karen Clark
- Donna Conway
- Carladyne Conyers
- Gerry Cottingham
- Jerry Cottingham
- Janice Craft
- Glen Davis
- Linda C. Dean
- Connie Detweiler
- Anita Dougherty
- Shelley Dougherty
- Sheryl Drew
- Kathy Dube
- Debby Duncan
- Jane Dunnaway
- Erika Dvorske
- John Dvorske
- Merilee Dymacek
- Leslie Elkins
- Elaine Engstrom
- Brenda Eubanks
- Jerry Feese
- Patrick Finnegan
- Jan Fox
- Ann Furlong
- Ligia Galarza
- Angel Gillaspie
- Mark Gleeson
- Mary-Nell Gleeson
- Duane Goertz
- Barb Gorman
- Bridget Greb
- Stewart Grosser
- Barbara Gurss
- Linda Haar
- JoAnn Hageman
- Greg Hamill
- Pam Hamill
- Brenda Hatesohl
- Kent Hatesohl
- Mary Hatfield
- Wanda Herron
- Cheryl Hicklin
- Emma Holloway
- Joan Houghton
- Flora Hsu
- Joann Huber
- Gretchen Hundley
- Sonja Jacobs
- Audrey Kamb-Studdard
- Alana Kasparek
- Nancy Kaufmann
- Emily Kerbs
- Fawad Khan
- Zahra Kahn
- Maggie Khater
- Robert Kimball
- Karen Lassman
- Barb Long
- John Lubianetsky
- Kelli Ludlum
- Gabi Lunte
- Bill Manger
- Laurie Marienau
- Breck Marion
- Grace Marion
- Robert Markley
- Pat McAlister
- Katherine McGillivray
- Lila Mertz
- Ellen Neis
- Heather Norris
- Teresa Olds
- Terese O'Neill
- Will Prenn
- Janice Rake
- Candice Ranney
- Barbara Reid
- Roberta Renz
- Brenda Rezac
- Randy Rezac
- Linda Rhodes
- Janice Richardson
- Dave Rickard
- Susan Rickher
- Emmy Rivera
- Debbie Sack
- Tom Sack
- Kathleen Saving
- Gary Scott
- Dianne Sisk
- Vic Sisk
- Dot Smith
- Sandy Stilwell-Rickard
- Ted Swartz
- Luke Thacker
- Chris Tilden
- Katherine Tilden
- Bob Tolle
- Sondra Tolle
- Linda Troutfetter
- Julie Trowbridge-Alford
- Brad Wall
- Kelly Wall
- Mari White
- Ray White
- Nancy Wiebe
- Teresa Wilke
- MJ Willoughby
- Abby Wingett