BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wade Dunford - President
Carilion Clinic LifeGuard 10
Jon Cornett-McKee - Vice President
Bank of America
Amber Lowery - Secretary
Roanoke Public Libraries
Amy Anguiano
Virginia Western Community College
Anna Locklear
Youth Board Member, Student
Rob McNamara
Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine
Peg McGuire
Independent Communications Consultant
Board Member Emerita
Caroline LaRocca Hammond
Caroline LaRocca Event Design
STAFF

Brett J. Roden
Producing Artistic Director
brett@virginiachildrenstheatre.orgBrett J. Roden is thrilled to be in his 6th season with VCT as we celebrate our 15th year of award-winning, professional theatre in the Commonwealth! Before becoming P.A.D. in 2019 he served as Assistant Artistic Director & Director of Education since 2017. Brett is an experienced Musical Theatre professional (Producer, Music Director/ Conductor/ Pianist/ Vocal Coach, Theatre Educator and Performer), administrator and business person. He prides himself on inspiring his team to create an outstanding, top-notch theatrical experience for his students, collaborators and all involved. He currently resides in Roanoke full time, after moving to the area in 2017 from upstate New York. Brett was named by Roanoker Magazine as one of Roanoke’s 40 under 40 young professionals in 2022, in recognition of his continued excellence as a leader in the theatre community in the Roanoke Valley and beyond. Up next, Brett will be traveling back to MA this summer to serve as the Music Director of the summer, collegiate Musical Theatre Conservatory program at the Tony Award-Winning Barrington Stage Company for the month of June and then back to Roanoke to finish out VCT's 22-23 Season with our annual summer concert in Elmwood Park! Some of his favorite credits include serving as music director, vocal coach and teaching artist for the Tony Award-Winning Barrington Stage Company, Redhouse Arts Center, P&HCC Patriot Players, Syracuse Children’s Theatre, Bogardus Performing Arts Center, SUNY Potsdam’s Creative Arts Camp, Crane Opera's Education Outreach Program, Roanoke City Schools and a variety of school systems throughout New York. In his free time he enjoys traveling across the Southeast and Northeast regions of the country to see professional theatre and sing/ act professionally as he is able! He is a graduate of The Crane School of Music & SUNY College at Potsdam where he studied Music & Theatre.

Jeanne Bollendorf
Managing Director
jeanne@virginiachildrenstheatre.orgJeanne is a native of Charlottesville, Virginia and after traveling and moving all over, she embraced Roanoke as her home in 2008. Having worked in the non-profit industry for more than 20 years, she is well and truly dedicated to helping others and promoting arts & culture as an important method of educating our youth and adding benefit to our communities. She loves sharing the fabulousness of Virginia Children’s Theatre and helping families and children experience the joys of live arts. In addition to her non-profit work, Jeanne is an active community volunteer and serves as Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke, the Roanoke City Library Foundation, and Greenvale School Foundation. In her off-hours Jeanne can frequently be found puttering in the garden, attending concerts, or drinking a glass of wine on the patio.

Lindsay Tolar
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
pr@virginiachildrenstheatre.orgLindsay is a Roanoke native and thrilled to be back in the Valley after living in Northern Virginia for the past 7 years. Prior to working with RCT, Lindsay was the publicist for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. While there, she managed all media outreach and coverage on both a local and national scale. Her greatest professional achievement to date was playing a part in clinching the Regional Theatre Tony Award for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in 2012. Before heading to D.C. she was the Public Relations Coordinator with Mill Mountain Theatre. When Lindsay isn't promoting and enjoying theatre, she runs the lifestyle blog Pursuit of Pink. Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from UNCG.

Lana Huffington
Assistant Director of Education
assistant.edu@virginiachildrenstheatre.orgLana Huffington is a performing arts professional (Educator, Stage Director, Administrator, Actor, and Dramaturge) with a B.A. in Drama & History from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (minor in American Sign Language). She has worked with off-broadway (SoHo Rep.), regional (Triad Stage) and children's theatres (Peppercorn Children's Theatre, Springville Center for the Arts) throughout the east coast. She is the founder & producer of The Salted Light Theatre Company. Some of her favorite directing credits are DUTCHMAN by Amiri Baracka (The Salted Light Theatre Company), and co-direction of THE JULIES: A KINDA SORTA ADAPTATION OF STRINDBERG'S MISS JULIE by Calley N. Anderson (UNC Greensboro Mainstage). Her favorite acting credits include: HAIRSPRAY, THEMBA, PIPPIN, and TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Brandon Duncan
Education Associate - Outreach Camps
Brandon Duncan is a teaching artist, actor, and musician from Floyd, Virginia. Trained at Radford University (BA in Theatre and Music), he has taught with Richmond Performing Arts Alliance as a Wolf Trap teaching artist, and has instructed for Virginia Repertory Theatre summer programs. First moving to Richmond to perform in the Virginia Repertory Theatre national tour, he has also performed with Richmond Triangle Players, Richmond Shakes, and the University of Richmond. His favorite artistic credits include: The Inheritance, The Rivals, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Cymbeline, The Diary of Anne Frank, Twelfth Night, The Frog Prince, The Taming of the Shrew, and Buffalo Soldier. Brandon is overjoyed to be returning to Virginia Children’s Theatre as the education associate and resident teaching artist since first performing here in 2016. He yearns to share his love of classical, didactic, and musical theatre through performing arts integrated education with the Roanoke community that he cares benevolently for.

David Morgan
Website Manager
David is thrilled to return to VCT after previously creating the branding and website for Roanoke Children's Theatre. He is a Roanoke native and obtained his degree in Communication Design from Virginia Western Community College. He has previously worked on design projects with several other area nonprofits including Roanoke Pride and the Roanoke Diversity Center. He currently works as an appraiser for Goodwill's Ecommerce department helping identify and authenticate valuable donations for auction. He also enjoys designing greeting cards on the side, gaming, and cuddling with his cat.