Wendy Leigh
V.P. of Education and Humanities

Leslie Shepard
Director of Academic Affairs

Stephanie Reitz
Director of Business and Operations

Sheri Whittington
Manager of Community Relations

Ami Sallee Corley
Manager of Special Projects

Claire Elbrink
Registrar

Crystal Haralambou
Faculty and Student Affairs Coordinator

Brian Smallheer
Production Coordinator

Abby Beachy
Production Coordinator/Education Projects

Bill Wiedrich
Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra Music Director

James Crumbly
Artist in Residence/Lead Music Teacher

Jean Calandra
Curriculum Coordinator/Lead Theater Teacher

Melissa Stafford
Orlando Ballet School at the Patel Conservatory Campus Principal

Ivonne Lemus
Orlando Ballet School at the Patel Conservatory Ballet Instructor

Maria Zouves
Opera Apprentice/Opera Outreaches/Opera Lectures

Myron Booker
Librarian/Registrar

Edith Randolph
Student and Community Liaison

Shelby McCarter
Administrative Coordinator

Amanda Abbott
Receptionist/Administrative Assistant

Ashley Hilton
Orlando Ballet School at the Patel Conservatory Administrative Assistant

Brittany Parlor
Administrative Assistant

Tina Tidwell
Administrative Assistant

Ellen Jacoby, Resident Casting Director

Ellen Jacoby is well known in the entertainment industry for her innate ability to cast a diverse range of talent for feature films, television series and commercials. As President of Ellen Jacoby Casting International (EJCI), with main offices in Miami Beach, Florida, Jacoby and her staff have cast such well-known films as Ali, The Waterboy, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, My Girl, The Truman Show and The Bodyguard. Jacoby also has been instrumental in casting many television series. The producers of a pilot for a new television program based in South Florida called upon her expertise in casting the show’s principals and extras. The show was Miami Vice. After completing several projects, word of Jacoby’s reputation spread through the industry. Ten years later, EJCI has become the largest and most sought after casting company in the southern United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Her office has worked with The Samuel Goldwyn Co., Warner Brothers, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Columbia, Viacom and Stephen J. Cannell Productions.

Doug Cooney

Doug Cooney is the author of The Beloved Dearly, I Know Who Likes You and No Such Thing As Magic, award-winning chapter books for middle school readers. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers just released his new book, Nobody’s Perfect,  co-written with Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. The book continues the adventures of Megan, a wild-hearted ten-year-old deaf girl, based on Matlin’s childhood. Cooney also wrote the book and lyrics to The Legend of Alex and The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, two youth musicals produced by the Mark Taper Forum's P.L.A.Y. He is currently writing a new youth-play for South Coast Rep.

Peter Stark, Director of Orlando Ballet School

Peter Stark studied dance with Andre and Leda Eglevsky and at the School of American Ballet. He danced leading roles at New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet and Washington Ballet. While with the Boston Ballet, Stark met and danced with Maria and Fernando Bujones under artistic director Bruce Marks. He was the assistant to Fernando Bujones and Interim Executive Director at Ballet Mississippi. Stark was appointed director of Orlando Ballet School in 2000 and has coached award-winning dancers who have received jobs in a myriad of professional ballet companies. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Stark has received honors including Central Florida Arts Educator of the Year and was featured on the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine.

Bruce Marks, Artistic Director, Orlando Ballet

Bruce Marks was a principal dancer with Metropolitan Opera Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, and has appeared as a guest artist with international major ballet companies including the Royal Swedish Ballet and London’s Festival Ballet. In 1971, he became the first American principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet. In 1976, Marks became Co-Artistic Director of Ballet West at the invitation of founder William Christensen. Following Christensen’s retirement, Marks was named Artistic Director.  In 1985, Marks assumed the position of Artistic Director of Boston Ballet, and under his dynamic leadership, the company achieved international acclaim and tripled both the annual budget and attendance.  Additionally, Marks was a founding board member of Dance/USA, a national service organization that represents professional dance companies. In 1989, Marks was chosen to succeed the late Robert Joffrey as Chairman of the International Jury of the USA International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi, a position he still holds. Marks came to Orlando Ballet as Interim Artistic Director in January, 2006. In May of the same year, Marks was appointed Artistic Director of Orlando Ballet and is taking the company to new heights.