Mary Whithed
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Performing Arts Center recently announced that Mary Whithed has been appointed as director of development. Formerly the director of audience services, Whithed has been on the SOPAC staff for the past five years.
The Maplewood resident has always had a love for the performing arts, according to a release from SOPAC. She has worked for nonprofit arts organizations around the nation, including at Lobero Stage Company in Santa Barbara, Ballet Tech in New York City and Stuart Street Playhouse in Boston. She worked for the education department at New Jersey Performing Arts Center before she began her tenure at SOPAC in 2010.
Whithed hails from New Hampshire and received her B.A. in theater from Hampshire College. She continued her education at Keene State College where she earned an M.Ed.
Whithed brings an eclectic and diverse background to SOPAC. In 2013, she traveled to Ghana for a monthlong volunteer position through Global Volunteer Network, and worked with students in grades one through three in Abokobi, a village approximately 25 miles northwest of Accra.
Her interest in writing led to two items that bear her name in the Library of Congress. One, a Storycorps interview she recorded with her family in 2014. The other is a book she worked on in 2005 celebrating the Weathervane Theatre in Whitefield, N.H., where she spent many summers.
“This is such an exciting time for the South Orange Performing Arts Center. We are realizing the vision of SOPAC as a cultural destination known for variety and excellence in programming, a warm and welcoming customer experience, and the amazing intimacy that brings you face-to-face with incredible artists. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” Whithed said in the release.
South Orange resident Celina Herrero will fill Whithed’s former position as director of audience services. She has volunteered for many South Orange committees and events and her commitment to South Orange has led her to serve as secretary of the South Orange Village Center Alliance. A Florida native, Herrero relocated to South Orange in 2006. Herrero’s experience has primarily been within marketing and management fields. She worked as marketing manager of Verifone Inc. in Miami and was an event-marketing manager for Chase Marketing Group, also located in Miami. Herrero shifted gears when she moved to New Jersey where she helped create and manage Sparkhouse Toys in South Orange.
“We are so lucky to have SOPAC here in our community and I am very excited to have joined the team,” Herrero said in the release. “I look forward to continuing and growing the tradition of excellent customer service and hope that my passion for South Orange will be evident in all of our audience experiences.”