Board of Directors
Jonathan Gordon
President
Taylor Mortensen
Vice President
Glenn Bailey, Jr.
Secretary
Janis Thiedemann
Treasurer
Kenneth Cahill
Ruth Dorr
Tina Green
Troy Johnson
Danielle Jones
Kelly Jones
Eric Mortensen
Jan Pavlinak
Brendan Sandham
Michael Scott
Carl Simoncic
James Slike
Emeritus Encore Board
On October 11, 2016, seven former Rabbit Run Board of Director members were inducted into our new Emeritus Encore Board. The inductees are:
Fred Close
Laurie Principe
Jill Gibson
Robin Baum
Terry Carney
Betty Jean Green
Dan Nichols
They represent many years of devoted service and donated time and talent to ensure the success of Rabbit Run Community Arts Association.
Thank you all so very much!
Glenn Bailey, Jr.
For Glenn, joining the Rabbit Run Community Arts Association Board is a true full-circle moment. Growing up in Madison and as a resident of Lake County, he understands firsthand the profound impact an organization like Rabbit Run can have on a community. With a professional career spanning education, administration, and non-profit arts, he has dedicated his life to the belief that the arts are a foundation of passion and purpose.
He brings to the board his extensive experience as a 6-12 arts and technology educator, school administrator, and education consultant. His work in education and community partnerships with organizations like the Kennedy Center, FotoFest International, and Young Audiences of Houston further strengthens his commitment to making the arts accessible to all.
Glenn holds a B.F.A. in Digital Art and an M.Ed. from Bowling Green State University, as well as an M.S. in Arts Administration from Carnegie Mellon. He lives in Mentor with his wife Stephanie and kids, Savannah and Oliver.
Kenneth Cahill
Since 1991, Ken Cahill has been practicing family law, working toward outcomes that are in the best interest of families and children. Ken is a noted speaker on issues of family law and serves as chair of the Family Law Committee. Protecting dependent, neglected and abused children was the role of Family Law attorney Kenneth J. Cahill at the Lake County Prosecutor’s Juvenile Division representing the Lake County Department of Jobs & Family Services.
Practicing Family Law since 1991, Ken started first as an Assistant Lake County Prosecutor enforcing and modifying child support orders before joining the Lake County Prosecutors Juvenile Division. Ken has also prosecuted criminal cases against juvenile offenders. In 1993, he commenced his private practice primarily focusing on Family Law before joining Dworken & Bernstein in 2000.
Ruth Dorr
Ruth was introduced to music and theater as a young child. She was often the only elementary school aged child in the audience of a concert or theater performance. She has continued her interest and love of the arts throughout her life.
Her involvement at Rabbit Run began as a theater volunteer in the mid-1990s, and she has been a member of the Board of Directors of RRCAA since the organization was formed in 2000. Ruth now serves on the Facilities Committee and the Volunteer Committee. She has been the House Manager at the theater for over 20 years.
Now happily retired, during her working years Ruth was an educator and spent 20 years working with Girls Scouts USA. Ruth’s husband, Brian, is a retired music teacher but still a busy working musician. Ruth and Brian’s two daughters spent many summers on stage and volunteering at Rabbit Run, and both now have careers in the arts. The arts have always played a major part in the Dorr family.
Jonathan Gordon
Jonathan joined the RRCAA Board of Directors in 2019, serving on the Advancement and Board Development Committees before taking on the Board President role in 2022. By day, he is the Sr. Director of Global HR Operations for a global technology firm, which drives his desire to recruit diverse skill sets and experiences that allow the board to successfully support this organization.
By night, you might find him music directing one of the summer musicals at the Barn, which he has done for the past seven seasons. A Cleveland 40 Under 40 winner, he has a sincere love for this city, which includes his time as an adjudicator for Playhouse Square’s Dazzle Awards, which encourages theater arts within the high school population. Together with his wife Sarah, a local actress, dancer, and choreographer, they have a five-year-old daughter Olivia and a two-year-old son Christian.
Tina Green
Tina has been involved in Rabbit Run for over 40 years. Whether ushering, performing, or enjoying a show in the audience, you’ll find her at the theater throughout the summer season because that’s where her family is. Experiencing the arts is a deeply held value for her, and family and Rabbit Run has allowed all the Greens to grow, experience, express, and share that value in their lives. Over the decades, Tina has been a student and a parent of students at the arts school; her children are the third generation to be involved in the school and at “The Barn.”
Tina is a wife, mother, and ordained minister serving Fairport Harbor Congregational Church United Church of Christ. She has a gift for listening and a passion for bringing people together around a shared vision in ways that enrich the community. Having served previously on the Rabbit Run Board of Directors, she is excited to return to the board as we continue to create opportunities to experience the arts.
Troy Johnson
Troy has been a board member since 2005, serving first as the Chair of the Program Committee and then eventually taking over as the Chair for the Facilities Committee. Over the years, he has ushered out at the theater, helped with many fundraisers, performed in “Amahl & The Night Visitors” as part of the chorus, ran sound for multiple years for the Elizabethan Feast performed at the Geneva Lodge through RRCAA, and has been the MC for the Annual Juried Art Show for 20 years.
His wife Beth has been a Voice Instructor at RRCAA for almost 30 years. She has enjoyed being on the stage as a primary performer and in the chorus of many shows. Beth has also been the Music Director for both Youth and Adult productions. She has directed both youth and adult choirs for RRCAA and is the current Director for The Madison Choral.
Troy and Beth have two sons that grew up taking piano lessons and then specific instrument lessons at RRCAA. Their love of music is now being passed down to their grandchildren. When not involved with RRCAA, Troy works with the DD population, supervising two homes in Madison. In his spare time, he is active in his church and is the Committee Chair of the local Scouts America Troop 55.
Danielle Jones
Danielle is a music educator and is currently the vocal music director at The Campus of Wickliffe. Over her 25-year career in education, she has taught general music, choir, band, and theater to ages Pre-K through College in New York, Arkansas, and Ohio. As a teacher, her choirs have earned top ratings at competitions and festivals in the northeast. Her theater students have won local awards and have gone on to perform on Broadway and in national tours. She currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Ohio Music Education Association’s All State Children’s Choir. Previously, she has instructed private lessons in woodwinds and voice at Rabbit Run and the Ashtabula Arts Center and has sung with the RRCAA Chorale.
She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, NY and a Master of Music in Music Education from Five Towns College in NY.
Outside of the classroom, Danielle has been a Girl Scout Leader since 2018 and is active in the Perry/Madison Service Unit. She is actively involved with theater in NEO and has directed, music directed, acted in, or played in the pit for over 60 productions since moving to Ohio in 2010.
Kelly Jones
Kelly is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor at Premier Behavioral Health Services, where she specializes in adolescent patients. Kelly has an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Carroll University. Prior to her career in healthcare, she worked in the performing arts, both on stage and off. With a B.A. in Theater and Business Management from Baldwin Wallace University, as well as an M.F.A. in Acting from Asolo Conservatory, Kelly has performed at various regional theatres, taught acting classes at the collegiate level, and assisted in administration and fundraising for Cleveland Playhouse, among others.
She is passionate about fostering safe spaces for individuals of all ages to express their creativity.
Eric Mortensen
Eric graduated from Lafayette College in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business. During his time there, he was a member and eventually President of the all-male a cappella group, as well as the student-run musical theatre organization. Following graduation, Eric worked for the Nestle Corporation for ten years, as well as Rockwell Automation for 1.5 years, where he gained experience in sales, customer management, and data analytics. He was recently hired by Park Place Technologies as an Instructional Designer, where he will be developing and delivering learning content for employees. Eric holds an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources from Kent State University.
Since 2018, he has been an active member of the Northeast Ohio arts community, performing in several cabarets, murder mysteries, and musicals. This has included several opportunities to participate both on and off stage at Rabbit Run.
Taylor Mortensen
Taylor joined the RRCAA board in 2021 and is our current Vice President. She serves on the Board Development (Chair), Advancement, and Executive Committees. Taylor holds a B.A. in Applied Conflict Management from Kent State University where she graduated Summa cum Laude, as well as a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with an HR Concentration also from Kent State.
She currently works in Workforce Planning at Rockwell Automation and brings nearly 15 years of professional HR experience to the Board of Directors. You may have also seen Taylor performing on stage at Rabbit Run and other area community theaters or singing with her husband, Eric across Northeast Ohio.
They live in Concord Township with their two Boston Terriers, Gizmo and Lulu.
Jan Boonstra Pavlinak
Jan has been on the board since the merger that formed RRCAA in 2000 and currently sits on the Facilities and Events Committees. She has held many positions and committee chairs, notably serving as the second President of the organization and long-standing member of the Executive Committee. Firmly committed to the importance of the Arts, she has worked to assure that both the theater and educational arms of Rabbit Run remain vital and thriving parts of the community.
She brings her musical background in instrumental and vocal areas, as well as her business skills in website management, office management, customer service, and horticulture at her family’s national-scale retail nursery to the RRCAA board.
Brendan Sandham
Brendan Sandham is the Manager of Agile Delivery for Alliant, an insurance broker based in San Diego, California. He has previously managed Product and Agile teams for Hyland Software, in Westlake, Ohio. He has extensive experience implementing Agile frameworks and is deeply interested in the ways they can nurture efficiency in companies and organizations.
Brendan has a Masters of Nonprofit Organizations from Case Western Reserve University. He worked as a staff member for a number of organizations in the nonprofit sector, including RRCAA from 2011-2013. He is passionate about the ways the arts can influence and enhance communities, and the transformative impact that an artistic mindset can have on people of all ages.
Brendan lives in Hambden with his wife, Angela, and daughter, Zuzu and son, Calvin.
Michael Scott
Michael currently serves as the Early Career Programs Manager at Rockwell Automation, where he leads the development and training of new engineers, focusing on both technical skills and professional competencies. With a diverse background in music, customer service, and program leadership, Michael has cultivated a strong interest in enhancing the experiences of those he works with. His passion for personal and professional growth drives his commitment to talent development, strategic program leadership, and fostering customer engagement and satisfaction.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University. He is dedicated to continuous learning and personal challenge, always seeking new opportunities for growth.
Carl Simoncic
Carl Simoncic has served on the RRCAA Board of Directors since 2019. Besides his role on the Board, Carl is involved with many of the Rabbit Run theater productions, both on stage and off, and assists with fundraising. He has been a member of the St. Gabriel Church Music Ministry for 30 years and has sung with the Madison Chorale.
He is employed at Progressive Insurance since 2003 as an Application Specialist in the Personal Lines Product division. Carl holds a B.A. in Theatre from Miami University and an A.A.B. in Information Technology from Lakeland Community College. A lifelong Lake County resident, he and his wife Mary reside in Concord Township.
James Slike
Jim has been an educator and performing musician in Northeast Ohio since 2011. Jim currently serves as the Dean of Academics at Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Ohio, Music Director at Immaculate Conception Church in Madison, Ohio, and performs as a trombonist in the Snowbelt Symphony Orchestra, Madtown Jazz, and other local ensembles and events.
He holds a B.M. in Music Education from Ashland University, and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Notre Dame College. As a former band director and current performer, Jim aspires to support arts education through his musicianship and advocacy.
Janis Thiedemann
Janis has served on the RRCAA Board of Directors since 2016. She is currently the Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. Janis has spent most of her career in external and internal audit and is currently VP Internal Audit at Quanex.
Janis earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Miami University, MBA from Lake Erie College, and doctorate in international business from Cleveland State University.
When not traveling for work, she and her husband Rich enjoy being foodies and trying new cuisines. They live in Mentor with their spoiled dog Sadie and have four grown children.