BERKS ARTS ANNOUNCES ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES

Berks Arts has announced several organizational changes. 

On Monday, June 24, during its annual meeting, the Berks Arts board voted to accept Justin Heimbecker’s resignation as executive director, and, at the same time, voted to appoint Tish Davis as the new executive director.

Heimbecker submitted his resignation after serving for three years.

The board also elected Lee Olsen to serve as president and Jim Landrigan to serve as treasurer. Olsen and Landrigan previously served terms as Berks Arts board president.

Other board officers are Brian Bubnis, vice president of programs; Deborah Waters, vice president of administration; Ann Woodward, secretary; and Michael Kuczala, past president.

Olsen, who was serving as a current board member, said the organizational changes will have no disruption to Berks Arts programming. “The smooth transition is underway,” Olsen said. “Looking forward to collaborating with Tish and staff, fellow board members, our loyal volunteers, sponsors, and everyone involved with the organization to continue Berks Arts major commitment to the community.”

Olsen said that commitment includes bringing world-class entertainment to our community for the annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest since 1991. “The jazz fest continues to have positive impact on our community in many ways,” said Olsen. “The Berks Arts leadership is committed to making sure that tradition continues for many years.”

Davis, a Reading native, has been Berks Arts Event Operations Director since 2022. She has been responsible for leading the operations teams for all Berks Arts events. Before joining the Berks Arts staff, Davis worked at the R.M. Palmer Company for 34 years – 22 years as a supervisor.

Davis was a jazz fest volunteer for 23 years, primarily as a stage manager. She has worked as a professional stage manager at the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Fest in Delaware and the Low Country Jazz Fest in Charleston, S.C., with The Backline Company (TBC) based in Atlanta.

“As a long-time volunteer and employee of Berks Arts, I am honored and humbled to accept the opportunity to be the executive director for an organization that I love,” Davis said. “I look forward to working with the board and all members of the Berks Arts team to continue the organization’s rich tradition.”

Amanda Ehst continues with Berks Arts in her role as Community Programs & Office Manager.

The board also announced that longtime Berks Jazz Fest General Manager and Artistic Director John Ernesto, who retired after recent fest, will return to serve as a consultant to assist with overall planning of the festivals.

Davis said all programming is set for the upcoming Berks Summer Fest at the First Energy Stadium on Saturday, July 27; the Reading Blues Fest at the DoubleTree on Nov. 22-24, and the annual holiday show featuring Mindi Abair’s “I Can’t Wait for Christmas” Tour at the Miller Center for the Arts on Saturday, Dec. 7.

She also said the programming process is underway for the 34th annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest set for April 4-13, 2025.