Meet the Team

  • A smiling woman with blonde curly hair standing outdoors in front of a building with a neon sign during dusk.

    Debra Torrence

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Contact
  • A woman with blonde curly hair wearing a white shirt and red earrings, standing in front of a dark backdrop with white logos.

    Brittany Lane

    OPERATIONS & OUTREACH COORDINATOR

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  • Grace Bowers

    PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR & ART GARDEN LEAD

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  • A black and white close-up photograph of a woman with long hair, smiling, and wearing hoop earrings.

    Colleen Knight

    EXHIBIT COORDINATOR

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  • Anthoney Wooden

    PROGRAMMING ASSISTANT

  • Aida Porras

    LIVE THEATRE LEAD

  • An elderly man with glasses smiling while holding a green cordless power drill.

    Paul Harding

    FACILITIES ASSISTANT

  • Maribel Tellez

    FACILITIES CARE

  • A man with glasses and a beard smiling at an outdoor event under a white tent decorated with string lights.

    Ethan Wolf

    PROGRAMMING DIRECTOR

    CONTACT
  • A young woman with blonde hair styled in braided pigtails, wearing glasses and smiling at the camera at an outdoor gathering.

    Savannah Wolf

    YOUTH THEATRE STAGE PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR

    CONTACT

  • Haven Lebel

    PERFORMING ARTS NEXT GEN LEADERSHIP TEAM

  • Katherine Stewart

    PERFORMING ARTS NEXT GEN LEADERSHIP TEAM

  • Charlie Potter

    PERFORMING ARTS NEXT GEN LEADERSHIP TEAM

EXECUTIVE BOARD

  • A woman with short, gray and blonde hair, wearing a black button-up shirt, smiling with arms crossed, standing in front of a plain light-colored background.

    Tonya Ayers

    CHAIR

    Professional Background: Business entrepreneur, community leader, and realtor with strong communication and financial skills.

    Arts Experience: Pianist, actor, and volunteer at Arts of the Pamlico (AOP), including serving on the Board of Directors.

    Community Involvement: Active member of the Washington Beaufort County Board of Realtors, serving as chair of the awards committee.

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing hoop earrings, smiling, with a blurred background.

    Colleen Knight

    VICE-CHAIR

    Artistic Practice: Colleen works with acrylics, pastels, and textiles.

    Professional Experience: Colleen has served as President of the River Walk Gallery Co-op and currently operates Makers Art Gallery.

    Community Involvement: Colleen has served on the Arts of the Pamlico Board of Directors.

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, light makeup, and a slight smile, looking directly at the camera against a beige background.

    Jayne Meisell

    TREASURER

    Professional Experience: A longtime advocate for the arts and downtown Washington, NC, and a former co-owner of Cups and Cones Ice Cream Shoppe and Little Shoppes of Washington.

    Passion: Revitalizing and supporting the city’s historic Main Street.

    Contribution: An invaluable part of the Council’s mission to keep the arts thriving in Beaufort County.

  • Sarah Fite

    SECRETARY

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, wearing a black and white patterned blouse and a pearl necklace.

    Laura Darre

    FINANCIAL ADVISOR

    Professional Experience: Over 38 years of experience in Corporate Real Estate Development, Residential and Commercial Construction, Architectural Product sales, and Investment Property Rehabilitation.

    Business Acumen: Proven track record of driving business growth by creating, implementing, and managing effective strategies.

    Personal Interest: Lifelong lover of art and has experience in darkroom printing.

FY 26/27 ARTS OF THE PAMLICO BOARD

  • A happy middle-aged couple sitting closely together outdoors, smiling at the camera. The man has glasses, a beard, and is wearing a white shirt. The woman has blonde hair, freckles, and is wearing a white strapless dress with a statement necklace. There are green trees and parked cars in the background.

    David Edwards

  • A woman taking a selfie near a marina with sailboats and calm water during sunset.

    Mandy Monath

  • A smiling woman with curly hair styled with beads, wearing a sleeveless white top with dark floral patterns, sitting indoors against a beige wall.

    Gigi Jackson

  • A woman with curly, blonde hair smiling in front of a neutral background, wearing a colorful patterned top.

    Leesa Jones

  • A smiling woman and a smiling man posing together outdoors, with trees and a structure in the background.

    Isaac Halsey

  • Smiling man with short dark hair, wearing a dark rain jacket and a collared shirt, with a bright sky in the background.

    John Tate III

  • Portrait of a man with short dark hair and facial hair, wearing a white shirt, against a blue background.

    Williams Figueroa

  • A smiling woman with shoulder-length purple hair wearing a white top.

    Shannon Russell

  • A woman with long, wavy blonde hair smiling outdoors, with a body of water and cloudy sky in the background.

    Shont'e Mason

  • Mark Roy

  • Lou Hodges

  • Mary Revilla

  • Judy Jennette

  • Smiling woman wearing a straw hat outdoors in a park.

    Ex Officio | Past Chair: Joan Gayle Watson

  • Ex Officio: Jack Dugan, Belhaven Representative

A Legacy of Arts and Community

The Beaufort County Arts Council grew from local arts initiatives that began during the 1960s and was formally established in 1971. From its earliest days, the organization has worked to make the arts accessible, nurture creativity, and bring people together through shared cultural experiences.

Louise S. Lane was a driving force behind the Arts Council’s formation and served as its first director. Her vision and leadership helped shape the organization’s mission and laid the foundation for the arts to flourish throughout Beaufort County. She believed the arts should be accessible, supported, and celebrated by everyone—a belief that continues to guide the organization today.

Our Leadership Through the Years

Thank you to the leaders who have created, supported & left a legacy for generations to come.

Our arts council leadership has been led for over 60 years by members of our community.

Past Board Chairs

  • Louise Lane

  •  Sue Nicholson

  • Betty Bracey

  • Judy Hayes

  • Jack Hill

  • Bettie Bonner Bradshaw

  • Steve Moler

  • Jake Marle

  • Jim Swinson

  • Jeff Rumley

  • Connie Howard

  • Dr. Alexander

  • Vail Rumley

  • Trent Tetterton

  • Arnold Barnes

  • John Tate

  • Virginia Finnerty

  • Roland Wyman

  • Lynda Lane

  • Gail Baird

  • Joan  Gayle Watson

Past Executive & Artistic Directors

  • Louise Lane, Founding Director

  •  Mr. Chestnutt

  • Sylvia WebbThigpen 

  • Don Miller

  • Whiting Toller

  • Rose Lewis

  • Judy Jenette

  • Wanda Johnson

  • Joey Toler

  • Debra Torrence

  • Virginia Finnerty

  • Beth Strange

  • Kelly Shanfelt

  • Jeffrey Phipps, Artistic Director

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