Michael Hill has taught dance, music, and choir in Irving schools and served on the Irving ISD School Board while also leading youth and music ministry at a local church. He has taught music and choir at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Michael has served for more than 20 years on the Entertainment Series of Irving board, which is celebrating its 70th season, and Irving Youth Theatre serves as the organization’s educational outreach arm. He recently retired from his role as the K–5 Music Specialist at Uplift North Hills Preparatory School.

Lisa Hill has served as a classroom teacher, instructional leader, and campus principal across several school districts in the North Texas area. She also served as Head of School for the North Texas Performing Arts Academy in Plano and as Director of Human Resources for Irving ISD. Most recently, she retired after serving as Assistant Principal at Pierce Early Childhood School.

Joy Cunningham is pleased to be a part of the board and looks forward to new opportunities for service and shared learning. She currently works as a claims specialist, where she regularly utilizes strong negotiation and communication skills. Joy has served on several committees within her organization, including DEI and Event Planning, contributing to collaborative initiatives and organizational growth.

In her spare time, Joy enjoys spending time with her son and daughter, along with their two cats. She and her family love to travel and take an annual family vacation every July. Joy and her husband especially enjoy warm weather and relaxing at the beach.

As a board member, Joy looks forward to supporting the organization by helping connect with key community partners, assisting with outreach efforts, and contributing to the planning and execution of fundraising events.

Shawn Terry  spent the majority of his career as an investment banker. Following his tenure with Goldman Sachs in New York, Shawn co-founded an M&A boutique, MHT Partners and led it for 19 years until its acquisition by New York based Cowen and Co. Shawn was also a Strategy Consultant with McKinsey and Co. in Dallas. Throughout Shawn’s career he focused on serving educational software and training businesses.

Shawn has a long history of civic involvement ranging from numerous political campaigns to the United Way, American Heart Association, Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas, Human Rights Campaign and Resource Center Dallas. Shawn has two adult children, Austin and Alexandra.

Lisa Hill has served as a classroom teacher, instructional leader, and campus principal across several school districts in the North Texas area. She also served as Head of School for the North Texas Performing Arts Academy in Plano and as Director of Human Resources for Irving ISD. Most recently, she retired after serving as Assistant Principal at Pierce Early Childhood School.

Raymond Rumple, a father of 2 kids, grew up in Iowa. Background in Payroll/Finance and HR Management.

Jeff Gardner is an entrepreneur and arts advocate with more than thirty years of experience founding and managing organizations in technology, energy, publishing, and the arts. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and trained at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, with professional experience in theatre and music. Jeff has served on boards for arts organizations in the Dallas–Irving area and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Kellermann Foundation. He brings a strong background in nonprofit governance, strategic planning, and community engagement, and is passionate about supporting arts education and creative opportunities for young people.

Amy Cave is a dance and theatre educator with 37 years of experience serving students and communities through the performing arts. She owned and operated a successful dance studio for 20 years and is a member of the Texas Association of Teachers of Dancing, where she also serves as a Tap Examiner. Amy has extensive nonprofit leadership experience, having served on the boards of Ridgeview Child Nurture Center, the Texas Association of Teachers of Dancing, The Column Awards, and The Dallas Trippers Club, as well as on the Arts and Culture Committee for the City of Farmers Branch.

Kristal Seid is a professional performer, director, music director, voice teacher, and vocal/acting coach in Dallas-Ft. Worth. She received her BFA in Theatre, with a minor in piano and vocal performance from Southwestern University.

With an impressive tenure in the industry, Kristal has left her mark on renowned theaters like Music Theatre of Wichita, Casa Mañana, Shakespeare Dallas, Dallas Children’s Theatre, Resolute Theatre Project, and Theatre Three.

Her passion for teaching led her to share her expertise at various esteemed institutions, including KD College-Musical Theatre Conservatory, Actors Conservatory Theatre, North Texas Creative Arts Academy, Addison Centre Theatre, and Irving Ballet School/RMR Muzik. Presently, she serves on the faculty of Casa Mañana School for Musical Theatre, and Seid Voice and Acting Studio, offering her certified skills in Somatic Voicework – The LoVetri Method™️ to students of all ages and levels, both in-person and online.

Janet Curry is a longtime advocate for bringing high-quality arts and entertainment to Irving and the surrounding communities. She has served on the Entertainment Series of Irving (ESI) Board for more than 10 years and is proud of ESI’s 70-year legacy of presenting outstanding, affordable concerts to the Irving community. Janet is especially proud of ESI’s continued support and sponsorship of Irving Youth Theatre to its artistic family.

A graduate of Irving High School, Janet was an active musician, playing string bass in the IHS Band, performing with the IHS Stage Band, and participating with the Irving Symphony Orchestra in the mid-1960s.

Janet and her husband, Rod, raised their three children in the Irving Independent School District and are now proud grandparents of two grandsons and two granddaughters, as well as great-grandparents to eleven great-grandchildren. She believes deeply in the importance of families having access to quality plays and concerts within their own community. Janet looks forward to continuing her work in support of arts education and the growth of the performing arts in Irving.

American tenor Barron Coleman has performed in the best opera theaters in the world entertaining audiences from Milan to Paris to Sydney and Japan.   A native son of the lone star state, he also has many important national debuts to his credit including Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and Dallas Opera.   Mr. Coleman sang in a new production of the Spanish favorite LUISA FERNANDA by Toroba with Los Amigos de la Zarzuela in New York City.  In addition to recording Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS with the Nashville Symphony for the Decca label, Mr. Coleman’s tenor was also heard at Lincoln Center in the Collegiate Chorale’s production of Scott Joplin’s TREMONISHA and in Peter Sellar’s critically acclaimed production of ZAÏDE at the Mostly Mozart Festival.  Mr. Coleman’s repertoire choices stretch from the title role in Monteverdi’s ORFEO to the demanding role of Tony in Henze’s masterpiece ELERGY FOR YOUNG LOVERS.   Recent performances include appearances at L’Opera Comique, Theâtre de Luxemburg and Lyric Opera of Chicago in addition to tackling the roles of Eisenstein, Pinkerton, and Don Jose.

Farida Hirani is a dentist by day and an enthusiastic theatre cheerleader by night for her two energetic sons, ages 9 and 13. She believes both dentistry and theatre are forms of art—one creating smiles with a drill, the other with a spotlight.

When she’s not perfecting smiles, Farida can be found carpooling between cast calls and scouting meetings. She believes strongly in leading by example through service, which led her to become active in scouting and to begin volunteering with Irving Youth Theatre. What started as “just helping out” quickly grew into a passion. Through theatre, she has witnessed children find their voices, build confidence, and discover courage they didn’t know they had—skills that extend far beyond the final curtain call.

Farida is continually inspired by Dr. Lisa Hill and Michael Hill, whose selfless dedication and tireless efforts have created a space where children feel seen, supported, and brave enough to dream. Their vision has built a safe, creative home for young people not only in Irving, but throughout the greater metroplex.

As a board member, Farida hopes to help children shine—not just under the spotlight, but in life. She is honored to support an organization that changes lives, strengthens families, and enriches the community, one child and one performance at a time.

An entrepreneur with a passion for servant leadership and helping others achieve positive personal change, Willie and his wife, Kristal, own several businesses, including a technology company and a leadership development company. Whether serving individual clients or small to midsize businesses, they focus on helping others become more effective in achieving their goals through the use of technology and/or personal growth.

Dianna Thompson is honored to join the Irving Youth Theatre Board of Directors, bringing a lifetime of experience centered on education, service, and youth development. Married for 32 years, she is the proud mother of three sons and grandmother of two. Family has always been at the heart of her life and work, grounding her commitment to helping young people discover their voices, build confidence, and grow into compassionate, capable leaders. These values closely align with the mission of Irving Youth Theatre and its dedication to enriching the lives of children through the arts.

Grace Wright is an alumna of the Irving Youth Theatre program and is thrilled to serve on the board. She strongly believes in the transformative impact of theatre and is passionate about encouraging others to express themselves creatively. Grace is a young adult currently pursuing college coursework with a focus on culinary arts and theatre. She plans to support Irving Youth Theatre by leading students, organizing volunteers, and serving as a strong youth voice on the board.