Please mark these dates/times on your calendars for the May Executive Committee virtual meetings:
Sat, May 11 at 8:00-11:00 AM Eastern
Mon, May 13 at 5:00-7:00 PM Eastern
Wed, May 15 at 11:00-2:00 PM Eastern
All are welcome! Please Note: Each meeting may end earlier than posted.
Executive Committee
Jeremy Kisling, President
Jeremy Kisling has taught, directed, and performed for young people for over 30 years. He is the Producing Artistic Director at Lexington Children’s Theatre. He received his B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Northern Iowa and his M.F.A. in Drama and Theatre for Youth from the University of Texas at Austin. He authored stage versions of Why Mosquitoes Buzz, Anansi the Spider, The Princess Who Lost her Hair, and The Ghosts of Pineville with Sarah Turner. He received the 2017 Sara Spencer Child Drama Award and the 2019 Tom Behm Award from the Southeastern Theatre Conference. He is a certified Artistic Mental Health Coordinator and a proud graduate of Leadership Lexington in 2019. He is honored to share his life with Amie Kisling, his wife, and his wonderful son, Leo.
Matthew Leckenbusch, Vice President of Services
Matthew Leckenbusch (he/him) Currently the Director of Theatre, Senior Lecturer, and the Technical Director for Clemson University Performing Arts Department and freelance lighting and carpenter for multiple theatre, video, and dance companies in the Greenville, SC area. As well as multiple regional and national commercials. Prior to Clemson, Matthew was the Production Manager at The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Technical Director at The Warehouse Theatre, and Assistant Technical Director for Seaside Music Theatre. ETCP Certified Rigger in Theatre. Past position held with SETC as Chair of Design/Tech Committee.
Lynn Nelson, Vice President of Divisions
Lynn Nelson has been active in theater since she played the part of a spoon in her third grade play about manners. The bug bit really hard and she remained active in theatre throughout high school and college. Her theatre career continued when her high school drama teacher cast her in a role at Tupelo Community Theatre in 1984, where she has been active since. At TCT she serves as a board member, directs, works backstage, and serves as publicity chair. Lynn is also active with Mississippi Theatre Association and AACT.
She currently serves as Region IV Rep on the Board of AACT and was recently inducted into AACT Fellows. She travels across the country serving as an adjudicator for theatre festivals. At SETC she has served as Community Theatre chair, Divisions Chair, Secretary on the Executive Committee, and member of the Personnel Committee. She works as a Human Resources professional and lends her HR knowledge to both SETC and AACT.
Ricky Ramón, Vice President of Equity and Inclusion
Professor Ricky Ramón has directed and stage managed over 60 plays and musicals at Adventure Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company (NYC), Arena Stage, Signature Theatre (DC), Theater Alliance, Rorschach Theatre, Imagination Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and Teatro Vivo (Austin). Ricky earned a Master of Education in Arts in Education from Harvard University, a Master of Fine Arts in Acting and Directing from Texas Tech University, and a Master of Arts in Performance Studies from NYU-Tisch School of the Arts.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and English from the University of Notre Dame. Ricky currently teaches theatre in the Department of Theatre Arts in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. He is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. Ricky is originally from Pearsall, Texas.
Ian Anderson, Vice President of States
Bio Coming Soon
Annette Dees Grevious, Vice President of Finance
Annette Dees Grevious is an Associate Professor of Speech and Drama and Theatre Program Coordinator at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC where she has been employed for nearly 22 years. She received her Master of Fine Arts in theatre performance from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky; a Bachelor of Arts in theatre from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia; and an Associate of Arts in speech and drama from Gainesville College (nka University of North Georgia) in Gainesville, Georgia. While her passion is acting, she has taught a variety of theatre courses as well as introductory level speech communications courses to students ranging from age five to eighty-five.
Her research interests include Black Theatre as well as the similarities and differences among students at HBCUs and PWIs as it relates to perception and study of Acting techniques. She has been a candidate for South Carolina Governor's Professor of the Year award and received an Excellence in Teaching Award from South Carolina Independent Colleges and University in 2016. Currently, she has served as a member as well as Board Chair of the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center; President and At-Large member of the SC Speech and Theatre Association; the first African American female President of the SC Theatre Association; and is completing her second term as Vice President of Finance with the Southeastern Theatre Conference, where she has chaired the Cultural Diversity Committee, previously.
Steven Butler, Vice President of Administration
Steven H. Butler has had the opportunity to serve SETC through the Equity Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, the BIPOC Global Committee and the Steve Bayless Scholarship Committee. Prior to becoming the Artistic Director for the Sarasota Players (Sarasota, FL), Steven served as the Executive Director for the Florida Theatre Conference. He is the Founder of Actors’ Warehouse (Gainesville, FL) which was honored to represent the United States at Mondial Du Théâtre International Amateur Theatre Festival (Monte Carlo, Monaco).
On a national level, he serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Theatre and its respective committees: Play Selection, Nominations, Finance, and International Festival.
Jeff Gibson, Elected Past President
Jeff Gibson has previously served SETC as VP for Administration and as President along with work on several standing and Advisory Council committees. He was inducted into the SETC Hall of Fame in 2024. Jeff is Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Middle Tennessee State University and is the former Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at MTSU. In addition to his work for SETC, he is a visiting evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Theatre, a former chair of Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region IV, and past chair of the Theatre Division of the Tennessee Governors’ School for the Arts. He received his M.F.A. in Theatre Management from the University of Alabama and was a management assistant at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
Caroline Jane Davis, Secretary
Caroline Jane Davis (she/her) is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Furman University where she teaches courses in acting, writing, dramatic literature, and theatre history. A member of the 2023 SETC Leadership Initiative cohort, Caroline serves as an Editorial Board member of Southern Theatre magazine in addition to her role as Secretary.
Professionally, Caroline is a director, actor, and dramaturg with a focus on new play development. In her community, she is the Communications Director for Upstate Pride SC, a local LGBTQ+ nonprofit, and serves on the Artistic Advisory Council of the South Carolina Children's Theatre. Caroline holds and MFA in Performance and Pedagogy from Texas Tech University.
Division Chairs
- College/University Division: Amy Chaffee
- Professional Division Co-chairs: Keith Arthur Bolden/Jenna Tamisea Elser
- Secondary Division: Harry Culpepper, Jr.
- Theatre for Youth Division: Rebecca Yeager
- Community Theatre Division: Lynn Nelson
State Representatives
- Alabama: Kristy Meanor
- Florida: Alexander Kanter
- Georgia: Ian Andersen
- Kentucky: Christine Connelly
- Mississippi: Tim Matheny
- North Carolina: Mia Self
- South Carolina: Kristofer Parker
- Tennessee: Anne K. Swedberg
- Virginia: Suzan McCorry
- West Virginia: Leah Turley