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

    Contact

  • Grace Bowers

    PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR & ART GARDEN LEAD

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

    Colleen Knight

    EXHIBIT COORDINATOR

    Contact

  • 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

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 

  • Ms. Milller

  • Whiting Toller

  • Rose Lewis

  • Judy Jenette

  • Wanda Johnson

  • Joey Toler

  • Debra Torrence

  • Virginia Finnerty

  • Beth Strange

  • Kelly Shanfelt

  • Jeffrey Phipps, Artistic Director

-