Board of Directors
We are grateful to our distinguished Board of Directors and the theater staff for their generosity, loyalty, and guidance. Our shows couldn't go on without them.
Ashlea Boyer
President
Ashlea Boyer is a native of Pismo Beach, having moved here from South Lake Tahoe when she was just four years old. An Alumni of Arroyo Grande High School, she then attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, graduating with a degree in English Literature. After college, she spent 5 successful years working her way up to Management Editor of a national fitness magazine in Southern California, working for two of the three largest West Coast publishing houses.
Ashlea return to the Central Coast for her wedding and stayed raise her family. She joined the family business in 2003 and began leading the Pismo Beach Homes Team with her Mother, Kathi Foster in real estate. Ashlea has been a leading real estate agent in the Pismo Beach area for 10 years, and has developed a strong client following in the area based on her dedication to our community and outstanding customer service. Our team, The Pismo Beach Homes Team, has been awarded the Quadruple Gold level awards consistently over the past 5 years with Keller Williams Realty. She has been named more than once as the “Agent of the Quarter”.
In 2011, Ashlea was presented with the “Top 20 Under 40” award by the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation for her professional excellence and profound commitment to the community. Ashlea lives in Arroyo Grande, California with her husband and son and she enjoy running on the beach, volunteering, pilates, snowboarding and the occasional scuba diving. She’s active in many industry, community service and non-profit organizations and serves on the board of the Rotary Club of Pismo Beach, the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, and the Agent Leadership Council for Keller Williams Realty.
Nan Fowler
Past President
Nan Fowler is the previous owner of Nan’s Pre-Owned Books and the grandmother of the new owner, Kassi Dee. Nan is a long-time resident of the South County area and after years in the medical field, she opened her store 1987. Since that time, she has been active in local politics, Chambers of Commerce and the Grover Beach Community Library. In 2001, she was honored by the State of California Chamber of Commerce for her business activities. In 2002 she was named one of Cuesta College’s Women of Distinction and in 2007 was named the Arroyo Grande Citizen of the Year. Nan is now retired but still works part time at her granddaughter’s bookstore. When she’s not at the store, you can find her being involved with Arroyo Grande Public Art, The AG Historical Society, or traveling with friends.
Dave Maislen
Treasurer
David served in the US Air Force and then graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Personnel & Industrial Relations and went to work for General Electric. While acting in various management positions with G E, he completed an Executive MBA at the Peter Drucker Graduate School of Management, part of the Claremont Colleges. After retiring in 1996, David began keeping bees and developed his own brand “David’s Blue Ribbon Honey” when his products earned 18 blue ribbons at the 2001 Los Angeles County Fair including Best of Show.
His post-retirement activities are varied; he developed and owned a bus tour company, maintains an organic orchard, small organic farm, and apiary in Arroyo Grande. David is a life member of the California Rare Fruit Growers and served on their board for 4 years. David and his wife Joan are members of the Heritage Foundation supporting the Mid-State Fair, 4H, and FFA endeavors. They have supported the arts at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts as well as the Clark Center since moving to Arroyo Grande in 2003. David loves to travel the world, but there’s no place like home…Arroyo Grande!
Nathan Alvarado
Nathan Alvarado is a financial consultant for Wells Fargo Advisors for twenty years, Nathan is also the Arroyo Grande Branch Manager. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and has assisted Lucia Mar Unified School District committees for community oversight. He and his family are active members of 4-H.; Nathan was on the Clark Center Foundation Board for many years.
Michael Gros
R. Michael Gros is a member of the professional theatre director’s union (SDC) and Professor Emeritus and former Co-Chair of Theatre Arts at Santa Barbara City College. He is a Fulbright finalist. He was a member of the graduate theatre faculty at Kansas State University and The University of Akron. Prior to teaching at Kansas State, Michael served as a management consultant and interim Executive Director at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts. Michael served as Artistic Director for six seasons with PCPA Theaterfest producing more than 70 productions under Actors’ Equity Association contracts. He has directed more than 35 full productions, many of which were also under an Equity contract. Michael received an Indy Award for his direction of the Theatre Group production of Present Laughter. He is the Former Dean of Fine, Performing, and Language Arts at Ohlone College. He is Artistic Director of PlayFest Santa Barbara. Michael received a residency Fellowship in non-profit arts leadership at Stanford University. Michael has presented numerous seminars on leadership and arts management through the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Leadership Academy. He regularly speaks on arts advocacy and arts education topics to civic, social, and professional organizations. He earned his MFA in directing from the University of California at Irvine. He earned his BA in theatre, Magna Cum Laude, at UCLA. Michael served on the Board of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and is a past directing focus group representative (Chair) for the Association of Theatre in Higher Education where he currently serves on the Finance Committee. He has lived in Arroyo Grande for nearly 20 years.
Dennis Kemble
Dennis Kemble was raised in Hanford, Callifornia. He graduated from Hanford High School and Cal State, Los Angeles with a degree in Police Science and Administration.
After serving in the Army for three years in Berlin, Germany, he returned to the Los Angeles area where he was hired by the FBI as a Special Agent. That career took him to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Santa Maria where he retired after serving in that capacity for over 30 years.
He immediately commenced his second career as a Home Inspector with Rainbow Ventures Home Inspections. In addition, along with his wife and daughter, they own and operate Rainbow Ventures Property Management, taking car of both full time and vacation rentals in the 5 Cities area.
Dennis and his wife, Gail, have resided in Arroyo Grande for 23 years. He is very active in his church, the Pismo Beach Athletic Club, and is and avid cyclist, participating in numerous long distance rides throughout California.
He is dedicated to ensure the Clark Center continues to provide a venue for music, arts, and showcase the talent in our local community.
Jen Marsh
Jennifer Marsh was raised in Northern California and moved to the Central Coast after graduating from California State University Fresno and currently resides in Nipomo. She has been employed by Residential Design Services for the last 15 years as an Interior Designer and Builder Account Executive.
Music and arts have always been a great interest in her life, having played in her school bands beginning with middle school through college. She is also an avid hiker throughout California and likes to take her son and wife on her adventures, most recently Half Dome in Yosemite.
When she has spare time, she enjoys doing projects for her son’s school, such as painting the Kindergarten play area wall mural and producing and directing the Talent show for the last two years. Finding a way to be more involved in the community and encourage more involvement of the Arts into the lives of everyone is her biggest passion!
Joan Pruett
Joan Pruett is a native Californian and grew up in Thousand Oaks. She married Carrol Pruett in 1957 when they moved to San Luis Obispo for Carrol to attend Cal Poly and Joan worked for Bank of America, receiving her PHT “pushed hubby thru” when he graduated.
Joan has been a resident of Arroyo Grande since 1961. She and Carrol have two children, five grand-children and two great-grand-children. She has been a Beta Sigma Phi member for over 40 years and is very active in supporting various local organizations. Her family has been involved in supporting the Clark Center since its early founding days
Al Stanford
Al Stanford is a lifelong north county resident. An alumni of Paso Robles High School, Cuesta College and Cal Poly. Al grew up in the motion picture business . He worked for Williams Brothers Markets for many years before he became a finance and sales manager in the Auto industry.
Al is a single proud father of 3 children and 3 unofficial step children as well as 5 grandchildren.
Al servers as a director on several area boards as well as being active in his local chamber of commerce. Al is still a supporter of Cal Poly athletics and can be seen at many games.
Al has been presented with the Most likely to make you smile award for several years running.
Al is very proud of his community and to be entrusted with his position on the Clark Center board of directors to help guild this organization today and into tomorrow.
Connie O’Henley
Executive Director
Nipomo resident, Connie O’Henley is originally from Etna, a small community in northern California, Connie found her way to the central coast through Cal Poly where she studied Agricultural Business management.
Since 2007, Connie has been the Executive Director for the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande. Prior to the Clark Center, Connie was with Central Coast Salmon Enhancement and the YMCA prior to that. She has a long history of nonprofit organizational management and community development. In addition to her very active career, Connie has been involved many different youth and community programs. She has been a member of the Pismo Beach / Five Cities Rotary Club since 1996, where she has served in several roles including President in 2003-04. She is currently serving as the Interact Advisor at Arroyo Grande High School, Club Foundation Treasurer and the club’s Presidential Advisor.
She and her family love living in Nipomo. Her husband Don is also involved with the youth in the community. He is currently coaching football for Nipomo High School. Their two sons, Donnie 25, who works for Farm Supply, and Matthew 21, who is working on his Outdoor Leadership Administration Degree at Southern Oregon University and a member of Track Team. Connie and her family enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, riding horses and time in the mountains.
Box Office
(805) 489-9444
boxoffice@clarkcenter.org
Business Office
(805) 489-4196
info@clarkcenter.org