Union Street Players

At our members meeting August 12th at 6:00pm in the dining room of the Pella Community Center, all members attending will have the opportunity to vote for nominees to our Board of Directors. You must be a current member with paid membership fee to vote. You may pay at the meeting. Below is the list of folks running for the various positions on the Board along with a brief statement.

USP Board Elections – August 12, 2019

President (will vote for 1):

Denise Gregory

I have been a member of Union Street Players since 2011 and have served in a number of capacities, including serving on the board.  I hold a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from Purdue University.  I have served as the Iowa State President of the American Association of Medical Assistants and am currently on the National Task Force for the association.  I do not look at the office of President as a position of power, but rather, as the conduit by which we can join our strengths and abilities in a unified force to create high quality shows and serve as a resource for theatrical events in our community.  There are many ways in which we can use our skills and we always want to treasure our past, as well as use the most current technologies to create both theatrical magic and thought-provoking messages.

Vice President (will vote for 1):               

Deb Linn 

Deb Linn has been involved with USP since 1997 both onstage and behind the scenes. Over those years she has been cast in at least 17 roles, worked in nearly every position in a production from set construction and make-up through Producer and Director. She has been a USP Board Member for at least 10 years and was our 2011 Walk of Fame inductee.

Sara Collins

Sara Collins performed in her first show with USP in 2003, but has been consistently involved for the past nine years. She has been cast in at least 11 roles and has also worked as a stage manager, make-up designer, and part of a set crew. Outside of theatre Sara works at The Funky Zebra in Pella, and as committee member and marketing consultant for Appanoose Ministries.

Secretary (will vote for 1):            

Lynn Cutler

Lynn Cutler has been involved in several USP shows over the past 4 years. She currently manages the ticketing for USP shows and is a director of USP’s summer Drama Camp program. She lives in Pella with her husband Doug, a teacher at Pella High, and assorted children.

Treasurer (will vote for 1):

Jim Palmer

Jim Palmer has been involved with USP production since 2004 and has served as the Treasurer for the USP Board of directors for the past 2 years.  Jim is the practice manager for Epiphany Dermatology in Pella Iowa.

At large (will vote for 3):  

Lynn Cooper

Lynn started with USP in the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Since then she has performed in Kiss Me, Kate, Stage, and Beauty and the Beast. She is a retired RN and currently the Music Director at St. Mary’s Church. “I love being part of USP. The creativity and talent in Pella and the surrounding area is amazing!”

Doug DeWolf

Doug has been involved with USP since 2006. Has played 37 different characters in numerous performances since 2006, has been an “At-Large” Board Member for approximately 11 years, and was our 2017 Walk of Fame inductee.

John Dougan

I have been a strong supporter of USP for many years as well performed in the 2018 version of 12 Angry Men.  I have previous board experience with the Newton Community Theatre where I served for 7 years.  This time included terms as Vice President and President.

Sarah Dron

Sarah started with USP in the production of The Little Mermaid. Since then she has performed in Stage, and Beauty and the Beast. In High School she performed in Guys and Dolls, Footloose, and Beauty and the Beast. In her most recent bio with USP she says “Thank you for including me in the wonderful chaos that is community theatre!”

Misty Rivas

I have been involved with USP for two productions helping out with set, selling tickets, and ushering for the productions of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. I also helped backstage getting Ariel and Belle into their costumes. I was involved with band and theater throughout high school in Texas. I have a passion for the arts and really believe a good community theatre group can have a positive impact on the community.

Arlyn Stuart

Arlyn started with USP in the 2016 production of The Christmas Post. Since then he has performed in The Wizard of Oz, It’s a Wonderful Life; Kiss Me, Kate, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. Arlyn is retired from Pella Corporation yet active in volunteering at the Pella Historical Society, and Quiet Waters Ministries in Colorado among other church activities.

Paula Winward

I became involved in USP five years ago as a parent; I love USP and have a passion for all of the behind the scenes parts of a production.  Every Saturday I get to imagine what shows could come from the beautiful clothes while helping others at the costume shop. Costuming “It’s a Wonderful Life” let me put all that magic to work and since then I have been able to assist with lights and sound for other productions. I teach students to use technology responsibly as a Google Educator, which gives me a plethora of experience working with databases and social media. This experience can help planning and organizing for our wonderful USP organization.

Union Street Players is looking for nominees to be members of our Board of Directors starting September 1st! Please send an email to usppresident@gmail.com to let us know what position you would be interested in running for by August 5th. At our August 12^th membership meeting in room 206 of the Pella Community Center, we will vote to fill the positions of President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and three “at-large” positions.

Description of duties is below. Should you have any questions, please contact us at usppresident@gmail.com.

The President shall preside at the general membership meetings and those of the Board of Directors. The President shall have voting power at all meetings. The President shall appoint members to fill vacant unexpired terms of any officer and board member, with the approval of the Board of Directors. The President shall form and appoint an auditing committee to audit the Treasurer’s books at the close of each term of office. The President shall be responsible for assigning Standing Committee responsibilities to Officers.

The Vice President shall take the place of the President when that officer is absent and shall assume the office of the President in the event that the President is unable to complete the term.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the accurate record keeping of the monies of the organization and chairs the Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall receive all funds of the organization and shall maintain them in an account(s) in a local banking institution under the name of the organization. The Treasurer shall be authorized to make disbursements as approved by the Board of Directors in accordance with these By-Laws. The Treasurer shall be prepared to make a report of the financial status of the organization at each membership and Board meeting and to prepare an annual financial report at the close of the fiscal year. The Treasurer shall further be responsible for preparation and filing of pertinent tax records and reports, both Federal and State.

The Secretary shall keep a current and accurate mailing contact list and membership list of all members of the organization. The Secretary shall keep such other mailing lists as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors and shall be responsible for all correspondence and mailings done by the organization. The Secretary shall keep accurate records of attendance figures for all productions and a record of production participants. The Secretary shall maintain an accurate record of the proceedings of each membership meeting and Board of Directors meeting and shall promulgate information to the membership on a timely basis. The Secretary shall be responsible for notices to all members of meetings and other communications necessary for the operation of the organization. The Secretary shall be responsible for the notification of annual membership status to all members, and acknowledging all donations.

At large members will typically serve as Chair of one of our committees such as Production Committee, Events and Marketing Committee, Front of House Committee, Set and Materials Committee, Costume Shop Committee, Financial Committee, Technical Committee, Back Stage and Green Room Manager. The Chair is simply the point person for all that concerns their particular committee including recruiting members to their committee. Assignment of Chairs is done by the President based on the skills, abilities and best intentions of the members and volunteers in the organization.