Comprised of business, civic, and nonprofit leaders, a 17-member task force will provide recommendations for cultural institution to strengthen community trust
Aimed at evaluating lessons learned, rebuilding trust, and implementing safeguards for talent, the Board of Directors of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) has formed an advisory stakeholder task force. The initiative is part of the cultural institution’s commitment to grow, improve, and guarantee that DBDT remains a pillar of cultural enrichment in North Texas and beyond for generations to come.
Jennifer Scripps, President and CEO of Downtown Dallas, Inc., and Shawn Williams, Vice President of Public Affairs at Allyn, will co-chair the 17-member task force.
“As we look toward the future of DBDT, it is essential that we listen to our community, evaluate past experiences, and make meaningful changes that will ensure the trust of our dancers, staff, and the broader public, said Georgia Scaife, President of the DBDT Board of Directors. “This task force will help us create a strong foundation for DBDT’s next chapter, where everyone involved is empowered, supported, and respected.”
Over the next few months, the advisory stakeholder taskforce will work with DBDT leadership to review the organization’s policies and practices, propose changes that foster an accountable environment, and establish safeguards to prevent future concerns related to talent.
“We are honored to lead a task force that’s about an institution’s commitment to excellence and responsibility,” said Scripps and Williams. “Our mission is to listen, learn, and recommend changes for the DBDT to remain a vibrant cultural asset with the highest standards of integrity.”
Before their current professional roles, Scripps served as the Director of the City of Dallas’ Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and Williams was the Interim Director of the City of Dallas’ Public Information Office.
In addition to Scripps and Williams, members of the task force include the following:
· Harrison Blair, President & CEO of Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce
· Kardal Coleman, Chairman of the Dallas County Democratic Party
· Levi Davis, Former Assistant City Manager of Dallas
· Ella Goode-Johnson, Former Chair of City of Dallas’ Arts and Culture Advisory Commission
· Quodesia Johnson, Consultant, Equity Specialist and Racial Healing Practitioner
· Mary Pat Higgins, President & CEO of Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
· Steve Idoux, President & CEO of Lockton Dunning
· Derryl Peace, Former Director of Alumni Engagement at East Texas A&M University
· Andy Smith, Executive Director of Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation
· Miguel Solis, President at The Commit! Partnership
· Mary Suhm, Former City Manager of Dallas
· Mark Thompson, Senior Vice President at Visit Dallas
· Victor Vital, Global Chair of Trial Practice at Haynes Boone
· Carla Wattley, Director of Dance Studies at Lancaster ISD
· Elizabeth Wattley, President & CEO of Forest Forward
Serving in capacities based on experience and expertise, the taskforce will begin its work immediately and focus on governance, branding, fundraising and stakeholder engagement.
ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE
Founded in 1976 by Ann M. Williams, Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s mission is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at the highest level of artistic excellence through performances and
educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. As the largest and oldest professional dance company in Dallas, DBDT is the fourth-largest Black dance company in the nation, ranks in the top 10 largest contemporary modern dance companies in the U.S. and is included among the nation’s 50 largest ballet companies. Located in the Dallas Arts District, the top-ranked arts district in the United States, DBDT has performed worldwide for over 5 million arts patrons and 3 million students in 33 states and 16 countries on five continents. The performances include three Olympics (1992, 1996 & 2012), the nation’s most prestigious venues
(Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Broadway, Jacob’s Pillow and Joyce Theatre), and for such luminaries as Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and South African President Nelson Mandela. Since the pandemic began in 2020, DBDT performances have also been viewed virtually in 43 countries. The Company has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as an American Masterpiece Touring Artist (2008) and received the Texas Medal of the Arts Award for Arts Education (2017). In 2023, President Joe Biden awarded the National Medal for the Arts to the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) on behalf of its five founding leaders and organizations that established the association, which include Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
For more details about Dallas Black Dance Theatre, visit www.dbdt.com.
