Meet the Staff
Dr. Brian D. Bethune, Dean of Creative Arts
Phone: 216-987-4125 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: brian.bethune@tri-c.edu
Dr. Bethune is the Dean of Performing Arts at Cuyahoga Community College. He is responsible for oversight and management of the department and its four programs: Center for Arts and Culture, Community Art and Music Program, JazzFest, and the academic program Recording Arts and Technology, which includes the Crooked River Groove record label. Dr. Bethune is the Dean of Performing Arts at Cuyahoga Community College and serves as Artistic Director of the Center for Arts and Culture series and the Showtime at High Noon series. Dr. Bethune’s work brings arts and artists to the community and into Tri-C classrooms under the vision “Engaging cultures and communities through the performing arts” which has a mission to incorporate arts activities and events into the curriculum of the college, most especially the non-arts curriculum.
Dr. Bethune previously served as the founding Chair of Fine and Performing Arts at Owens Community College in Toledo, and CEO and artistic director of the Toledo Repertoire Theatre. He has directed and produced over 150 theatrical productions throughout the Midwest and has produced over 250 guest artists and company presentations, educational seminars, master classes, workshops, lectures, and events in Ohio.
Dr. Bethune is a member of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans, Cleveland Rotary and serves on the Board of Plexus: the LGBT Chamber of Commerce for NE Ohio.
Beth Rutkowski, Managing Director
Phone: 216-987-4582 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: beth.rutkowski@tri-c.edu
Ms. Rutkowski is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Tri-C JazzFest as well as working with the JazzFest Artistic Director in scheduling concert performances. Ms. Rutkowski works with the Director of Education on educational programming and the College’s Marketing Director on strategies to increase audience attendance. Before joining Tri-C in 2005, Ms. Rutkowski was the director of education at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, overseeing classes and lessons in music, theater, visual arts, and dance, as well as creative arts therapies and education outreach. Prior to working for the Beck Center, Beth worked for National City Bank in community relations and corporate sponsorships. During her six years at the bank, Beth completed an MBA at the University of Louisville with the hope of rejoining the world of arts where she had worked previously. Beth spent five years working as an actress and musical director for a children's theater touring company after completing a Bachelor's of Music at the University of South Carolina where she concentrated in choral music education and vocal performance. She has also held performing lead roles in musical theater productions with a summer stock company.
John Eby, Director of Arts Education
Phone: 216-987-3367 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: john.eby@tri-c.edu
John Eby is currently serving as the Director of Arts Administration at Cuyahoga Community College where he has developed the concept of the ArtsPrep program. Prior to this position, he served as a consultant to the University System of Ohio conducting a survey of the arts programs in Ohio’s 4 year, comprehensive, state universities. Over the previous seven and a half years, Mr. Eby served as the Director of Arts Education for the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) where he built the foundation of a strong and effective arts program for all of CMSD’s 65,000 children. This work was recognized when he received the Ohio Alliance for Arts in Education’s 2002 Arts Educator of the Year Award, and the Arts Educator of the Year Award by the Ohio Arts Education Association for Northeast Ohio. His nationally known All-City Arts Program; including the highly acclaimed All-City Musical at PlayhouseSquare, and the All-City Festival at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has shown that dedicated students, even in highly underserved communities, can be successful in very challenging endeavors. The All-City Arts Program’s graduation rate outpaces the District’s as a whole by a phenomenal rate (95% to 50%). Prior to working for the District, Mr. Eby’s background was soundly rooted in teaching acting, directing, and various other theatre studies at highly selective private institutions in California, Illinois and Cleveland, while maintaining a vigorous career as a professional actor and director. He has extensive experience working with young people at elite academic institutions such as Northwestern University, Denison University, The Melrose Theatre in L.A., Idyllwild Arts Academy where he founded the Theatre and Music Theatre programs, and Laurel School.
Laura Kendall, Director of Arts Programming
Phone: 216-987-4193 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: laura.kendall@tri-c.edu
Ms. Kendall is responsible for artist booking, scheduling and coordinating marketing and development efforts for the Center for Arts and Culture and Showtime at High Noon Series. As part of the mission of the college, Ms. Kendall works with staff, faculty and students to create multidisciplinary and engaging projects that integrate the artists and performances into Tri-C student learning.
Prior to joining Tri-C, Ms. Kendall was the Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Learning at the Lied Center for Performing Arts on the campus of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She developed programs and projects for Adventurelied which brings professional artists to K-12 and college students, faculty and communities across the state for performances and engaged learning opportunities. Every season, she planned 2-3 state wide tours to rural communities across the state of Nebraska and created an innovative week long symposium for non-arts departments on campus. She was instrumental in securing the prestigious Creative Campus grant and served as the program director. In her free time, she freelanced as a theatre director and educator for the Lincoln Community Playhouse. Before stepping into the world of arts administration, Ms. Kendall spent five years in Los Angeles working in the film industry as a freelance Script Supervisor and as a Studio Coordinator for Touchstone Television/Wonderful World of Disney in Burbank, CA. Laura received her Master of Arts in Marketing, Communication and Advertising and a B.A. in Theatre and Film both from the University of Nebraska. She serves on the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference planning and membership committees and was part of the strategic planning advisory committee. She is a 2007 graduate of the Emerging Leader Institute.
Emanuela Friscioni, Director, Classical Music Academy
Phone: 216-987-2060 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: emanuela.friscioni@tri-c.edu
Emanuela Friscioni was born in Cantu', Italy, where she started studying piano at the age of five. She obtained her Diploma in Piano Performance in 1997 at the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory in Milan, with full marks, and then went on to study with famous professor Annamaria Pennella in Naples, Italy. Important musicians such as Paul Badura-Skoda, Aldo Ciccolini, and Bruno Canino have also provided guidance in her formative years. Click HERE to read more about Emanuela.
Willard Jenkins, Artistic Director, Tri-C JazzFest
email: muzikmuse@comcast.net
A 1973 graduate of Kent State University, Willard Jenkins has devoted much of his life's work to nurturing the growth and enhancement of jazz music as a fine art form. He has been an arts administrator, producer, presenter, journalist, broadcaster, educator, and consultant. Jenkins is an independent arts consultant, producer, and writer under the Open Sky banner. Much of Jenkins' current activity includes concert and festival planning, artistic direction, consulting, music journalism, and broadcast production work. He currently serves as artistic director of an annual concert series at Tribeca Performing Arts Center and as artistic adviser to 651 Arts. His newest affiliation is as a consultant for Arts Midwest managing the NEA Jazz Masters on Tour program. Jenkins is a regular contributor to National Public Radio’s review service, Jazz Riffs, and currently has radio programs on WPFW in Washington, DC and XM Satellite Radio.
Some of the other organizations Jenkins has been associated with include: Black Entertainment Television, National Jazz Service Organization, Cleveland State University, Northeast Ohio Jazz Society, Smithsonian Institution, Aaron Davis Hall, Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and The Plain Dealer
In 1995 Jenkins was appointed Artistic director of TriC JazzFest Cleveland. He is responsible for the artistic direction of the festival, negotiation of artists’ contracts, and national public relations.
Cliffie Jones, Business Manager
Phone: 216-987-4049 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: cliffie.jones@tri-c.edu
Cliffie Jones is an integral part of Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland's day-to-day operations. She has been involved with Tri-C JazzFest for many years and serves many more roles than just Business Mgr! In addition to jazz, she has a great love of the theater and is very active in Cleveland's Public theater as a gifted actress. Come see Cliffie on stage!
Trissa Chaney, Administrative Coordinator
Phone: 216-987-4190 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: trissa.chaney@tri-c.edu
Trissa Chaney is the Administrative Coordinator of the Creative Arts Division. In this role, she provides overall support to the Dean for both the acedemic and non-academic areas. She also manages the fiscal duties of the division and supervision of the Performing Arts Office. Prior to joining Tri-C, she was Assistant to the Chairperson of Teacher Education at CSU. Trissa is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Science in Marketing at Franklin University.
Philip Campbell, Production Manager
Phone: 216-987-4546 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: philip.campbell@tri-c.edu
Philip Campbell has worked in the Theater and Creative Arts Departments at Tri-C for 15 years. He has worked as Production Manager for the Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland for 13 of those years. During this time he has worked with various outside companies including Belkin Productions, Rock Capital Sound, 8th Day Sound, Dance Cleveland and Dancing Wheels on events that range from dance and theatre to musical productions. With a focus on all things technical and his experience with sound, lighting, rigging and staging, Philip manages between 60 and 80 productions a year for Tri-C Creative Arts.
Lilah M. Wiant, Office Assistant
Phone: 216-987-4249 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: lilah.wiant@tri-c.edu
Lilah joined the Tri-C JazzFest staff in April 2007. A 1996 graduate from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, she has had a love of music and the arts from a very early age. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree in 1994 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. While completing work on her Master's degree, she won the Ohio International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition. Before joining Tri-C in September of 2004, Lilah worked in the capacity of Chorus Manager for the Children's Festival Chorus in Pittsburgh, Pa where she had the privilege of working with performing arts organizations such as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Opera and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh among others. Other past positions Lilah has held include, personnel manager for the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra, counselor for the Blue Lake Fine Arts Program, and full time private trumpet instructor for the Plano Independent School District - Plano, TX. 
Ann Garbler, Development Consultant
Phone: (216) 987-4943 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: ann.garbler@tri-c.edu
Ms. Garbler has been involved for over 25 years with fund development for the arts. In Cleveland, she was on the staff of Great Lakes Theater Festival for nearly eleven years. For the past several years she has worked as a consultant with many arts organizations in the areas of contributed income planning, grants writing, research and analysis.
Dorothy Hirsch, Program Assistant
Phone: (216) 987-4940 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: dorothy.hirsch@tri-c.edu
Dorothy Hirsch retired from SBC (formerly Ohio Bell) in 1999 after 30 years of service. In order to fill some of her free time after retirement, she joined
Tri-C’s Cultural Arts staff in October of 2001 as the part time office manager on a “temporary basis”. After three months on the job she became the coordinator for Tri-C’s Showtime at High Noon series. In 2002, Dorothy became the house manager and box office manager for the Cultural Arts evening programs. With the creation of the Performing Arts Division which now included Cultural Arts, JazzFest and Recording Arts Technology, she became the house manager for both Cultural Arts and JazzFest events. Dorothy also serves as volunteer coordinator for some of the JazzFest events. Since she has become active in the Performing Arts, Dorothy says she has discovered that she has a great appreciation and love for the arts. In her free time, she enjoys reading a good book and shopping.
Velorie L. Stephens, Clerical Assistant
Phone: (216) 987-3508 Fax: 216-987-4186
email: velorie.stephens@tri-c.edu
Velorie began her journey with Tri-C as a full-time student during the late 70's. After graduating in 1980 with an Associate of Applied Business degree (with a concentration in Accounting), she continued her education at Dyke College while working part-time under the guidance and direction of Mrs. Betty Morgan. After receiving her Bachelor's degree, she continued to work in a variety of positions at the Metro, East and District offices. She returned to college in 2000 and has enjoyed working as a student financial assistant and advisor as well as a program assistant for the Evening/Weekend office.
Phil Barr, Marketing Consultant
Phone: (216) 334-9591
email: pbarr11@roadrunner.com
Phil Barr, an avid jazz fan, is an accomplished communications professional with experience in public relations, media relations, strategic marketing, advertising, direct mail, branding and event planning. A principal of Barr Communications, he previously worked at Hybrid Marketing, a full-service marketing and public relations agency. While at Hybrid, Barr worked on a variety of educational, consumer and business-to-business accounts, including Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland Institute of Music, Ursuline College, DANCECleveland, Corporate Screening Services, T. Marzetti Company, Meyer Products and Kalahari Waterpark Resort. Barr is the recipient of three PRSA Cleveland Rocks Awards, given annually by the Greater Cleveland Chapter of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America). He studied English and journalism at the University of Akron and at Vesalius College, in Brussels, Belgium.