Kathryn Dawkins, President

Kathryn Dawkins has enjoyed being part of the Center Players Community
Theatre for the last eight years. She has been an assistant director
and stage manager, but her favorite activity is performing on stage.
Some of her favorite shows include: Arsenic and Old Lace, Ten Little
Indians,The Odd Couple, Female version,To Kill A Mockingbird, and You're
A Good Man, Charlie Brown. She has also performed with the Mayberry
Ministries Dinner Theatre and Encore Dance. In previous years, she was
a part of the theatre in Starkville and in Meridian . She recently had
the lead female role in Moon Over Buffalo with Actor's Playhouse. She
has served on the CPCT Board as Ad Sales Chair, Playreading Committee
Chair,and Vice President. She currently serves as secretary on the Executive
Board.

Betty Jo Mahaffey, Vice President

Betty Jo Mahaffey teaches intellectually gifted students at Madison
Station Elementary. As a part of the integrated arts program there,
she works with the performers and make-up artists in the student produced
opera. Betty Jo has a long history with the Center Players Community
Theatre. You may have seen her in the roles of Aunt Martha in Arsenic
and Old Lace, Truvy in Steel Magnolias, Salome in The Robber Bridegroom,
or recently as Mother Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. She also directed
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Betty Jo is now a member of the Center
Players Community Theatre Production Board where she serves as chair
of the play reading committee.

Derrick Cowan, Board Advisor

Minister of Worship Arts and Discipleship, attends Mississippi College. He has been involved in church worship leadership and has held various accompanist positions throughout the state. He has served on staff at FBC Sumner, FBC Forrest, and Ogden Baptist Church in Yazoo County. Being involved in music since he was a child, Derrick brings to us 15 years of piano study, 6 years of organ study, 7 years of private voice study and 6 years of choral experience.

David Overby, CPA, Treasurer

Currently serving as Director of Finance & Administration /City Clerk
for the City of Ridgeland for the past 10 years. Moved to Ridgeland
from Laurel Mississippi where was employed by the City of Laurel a Director
of Finance. While in Laurel, he was active in the Laurel Little Theatre
and appeared in Harvey, Love Sex & The IRS and The Nerd.
David received his BBA in accountancy from the University of Mississippi
and his MBA from Mississippi State University. Married to Gail Avery
and they make their home in Ridgeland. They have five children and four
grandchildren.

Katrina Byrd, Playwright in Residence and Secretary

Katrina Byrd is honored to be working on her 3rd performance with The Center Players Community Theatre. She was last seen in the Center Players production of "HATS! A New Musical for the Rest of your Life." She’s a graduate of Millsaps College and a writer who has had several plays read in Fondren Theatre Workshop’s Reader’s Theatre. She’s also a two time Mississippi Arts Commission Mini grant recipient.

Willie Anderson

Willie returns to the board after a brief hiatus. Willie is one of the founding fathers of the group and was in the first production "Lend Me a Tenor". He has been in many productions and has directed four of our shows including the award-winning one act "Laundry and Bourbon". This show went to the Mississippi Theater Association festival and won numerous awards for cast and crew and landed Willie the Best Director award. Favorite shows have been "M*A*S*H*" and "A Few Good Men"-directing and "To Kill a Mockingbird"--

Tommy Hoffman, II

Tommy Hoffman, a resident of Madison, is an experienced writer and director of musical productions. He has 20 years of experience in vocal and instrumental music. He is a lifelong resident of Madison County and is a member of the Christ United Methodist Church Orchestra. He has also performed in the pit orchestra for several community theatre productions in the Mississippi Delta. He attended Hinds Community College, The University of Southern Mississippi, and Delta State University, pursuing a Music Education Degree. Tommy has acted in several community theatre productions in the area, and has written, directed, and starred in 2 musicals for the Madison Square Center for the Arts, where he Directed the musical, Back to the 80's.

Bob Anderson, Past President

Bob Anderson most recently appeared as John Pendleton in The Center
Players Community Theatre production of Pollyanna. Bob also appeared
with The Center Players in It’s a Wonderful Life, To Kill a Mockingbird
and in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. During the Summer of 2007, Bob
also enjoyed taking a turn at directing one of The Center Players’ one-act
plays, The Love Life of Herbert Packenstacker, in which he had the pleasure
of directing his daughter, Lindsayann, and fellow board member, Robby
Scucchi. In his other life away from the stage, Bob practices law with
the Butler Snow law firm, which will make its move to Ridgeland in the
Fall of 2009.

Ken South, Marketing/PR Chair

Ken South currently works as the morning and noon meteorologist at
WJTV in Jackson. He has spent the past 15 years at JTV. His broadcast
career began in 1990 in Greenville, MS. The Natchez native attended
Jackson State University where he earned a B.S. degree in Meteorology
in 1993. Ken has been an active member of Mississippi HeARTS Against
AIDS since 2002, serving as Benefit Chairman in 2007 and 2008. He now
serves on the HeARTS Board of Directors. In addition to being a fan
of local theater, Ken loves animals. He and his roommate live in the
Fondren area of Jackson with their three dogs and one cat.

Stacy Howell, Play Reading Chair

Stacy Howell is the current President of the Mississippi Theatre Association. She has also served for two years as Vice President, two years as chairman of the community theatre division, and one year as the vice chairman of the community theatre division. She is also a two-term past president of The Center Players community theatre where
she has served as director, assistant director, stage manager, actress, as well as a member of various committees. Stacy is the speech / debate / mock trial coach for Ridgeland High School where she has had numerous state champions, numerous national qualifiers,
national finalists, and she was the coach of the 2007 Poetry Out Loud State Champion. She was also the 2008 MHSAA Speech / Debate / Theatre Educator of the Year, and a 2008 Madison County WOW! Teacher of the Year. Stacy serves as the Jackson Catholic Forensic League Diocesan Moderator, and is a committee member of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Speech and Debate Coaches. Stacy is an appointed committee member of The City of Ridgeland's Community Awareness Committee. She is also a member of Colonial Heights Baptist Church where she is active with the Audio / Video / Lightning Ministry, and co-director of the Crosswise Youth Drama Troupe. Stacy resides in Ridgeland with her husband JC.

Emily Trower, Volunteer Coordinator 

Emily is a native of Charlottesville , VA with a degree in theater from the University of Virginia . Having spent most of her life as something of a vagabond, she moved to Mississippi in 2007 and purchased a small horse farm with her husband. Emily has a background working in front of, on and behind the stage for both professional and non-professional regional theater. She also has experience working in commercial television production and radio. She is excited to be on board with The Center Players and to be part of an organization that reflects the talent of a community it not only entertains, but also inspires!

Joey Valencino

Joseph Valencino is a native of Greenville, Mississippi. While growing
up in Greenville, he performed in numerous productions at Delta Center
Stage. He attended Delta State University where he was a member of the
Delta Players. Following graduation from Delta State, he attended Mississippi
College School of Law and consequently took a rather long hiatus from
the theater. Joseph has since participated in various community theater
productions in the Jackson metropolitan area. He resides in Belhaven
and practices law in Ridgeland.

Kimberee Wolfson

Judy Ann Fortenberry