With over 450 cultural organizations and 1,500 individual artists and scholars, Montgomery County always has something new going on.  This week, we’re excited to welcome new leadership to two County theaters and our own, Arts and Humanities Council Board of Directors.
AHCMC welcomes new Board Chair Erica A. Leatham and we bid a fond farewell to outgoing Board Chair Jacqueline Manger, who has stepped down as Chair but remains on the Board. New Board Chair, Erica Leatham is of counsel with the law firm of Ballard Spahr.  Her practice focuses on zoning and land-use matters in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region and is a LEED Accredited Professional, as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.  Erica was recently named as one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland by The Daily Record and has held numerous other leadership positions within the real estate, business and local communities. To learn about the AHCMC Board and board committees click here.
Welcome Martin Platt as the new Artistic Director of Olney Theatre Center. Martin comes to Olney Theatre Center from his current position as Co-Director of Perry Street Theatricals (PST), a New York based producing company. Read more.
“I could not be more pleased to be joining Olney Theatre Center as it prepares to celebrate its 75th Anniversary in 2013. Montgomery County has so many vibrant arts organizations, and I look forward to learning more about them, enjoying them, and meeting my colleagues here. Music, dance, art and theatre are all crucially important to me and my day to day life, and I feel privileged to be moving to an area with such abundant riches. I hope I will be able to contribute new and exciting work for Montgomery County!” – Martin Platt
Welcome Ryan Rilette as the new Producing Artistic Director at Round House Theatre. Currently the Producing Director at Marin Theatre Company, Rilette will assume his full-time duties at Round House on August 1. Read more.
“One of the things that immediately interested me about Round House was the incredible support that the county provides for the arts. I’ve run theaters in three different states and have never seen anything like it! I’m thrilled to join the very vibrant Montgomery County arts community, and look forward to getting to know the breadth of the work that’s offered here.

“At Round House, our focus is going to shift some in the years to come. In Bethesda, we’re going to produce the best plays of the 20th century and today. In Silver Spring, we will continue to support the work of emerging theatre companies, but once funding allows, we will also develop and produce new plays by the country’s hottest playwrights there. I also want our work to reflect the community it serves, to be accessible to everyone, and to spark a dialogue. We’re going to lower the barriers to participation, to see what’s stopping people from coming to the theater, and to address those issues. We’re also going to provide our audience with a lot more information about the work that they’re going to see, and encourage them to stick around after the show and talk to us about it.” – Ryan Rilette