Legal, fiduciary, and policy oversight of The Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation (LTCF) is maintained by a volunteer Board of Directors (BOD), who typically meet the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm at the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce office. The public is welcome to attend these meetings.
The LTCF is committed to creating an environment that holds anti-racism and anti-bias as core values and strives to reflect the community’s diversity in our BOD as well as educate the community about racism, diversity, inclusion, and equality. We honor our opportunity to strengthen awareness in the community of the importance of these issues as reflected in cinematic and performing arts.
The Historic Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation is currently seeking passionate community members for positions on the Board of Directors. If you are interested in joining the Board, any of its committees, or attending a meeting, you are encouraged to contact the theatre's administrative office or send an email to: board@lincolntheatre.org
Foundation Board of Directors:
President
Gregory T. Norton
Business Unit Leader at TRICO Companies, LLC
Joined the board in 2022
Greg relocated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the summer of 2021 after retiring from federal service and commencing his journey as a business unit leader for TRICO Companies providing construction services as a General Contractor. Greg spent most of his public-sector career posted in overseas locations and culminated his career as the global program manager with locations in 33 U.S. Embassies throughout the world.
Originally from the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Greg has lived and worked out of Central and South America spanning a three-decade period focusing on international relations and government security programs. While living and working out of Panama, Greg owned a sound reinforcement and lighting company providing live music venues with technical support for over a decade.
Greg is an avid chef and master curator of fine food, friends, and laughter and lives to travel internationally. Having fluency in six foreign languages, Greg is thrilled to be living in Mount Vernon where a rich Hispanic Community flourishes. Greg’s dedication to the Lincoln Theatre and Board of Directors came after overseeing the project management of the front of house renovation and meeting the staff of the theatre whom he found to be warm and engaging.
Vice President
Duane Petzoldt
Owner, The Hudson Real Estate Group & Broker with Windermere Real Estate M2, LLC
Joined the board in 2022
The true measure of value that any business leader brings is performance. Duane has proven his worth time and time again. As a skilled business owner, operator, and coach, he instinctively knows how to increase profitability, expand sales, streamline performance, and, most importantly, improve the customer experience.
His talents range from solo entrepreneurial start-ups in restaurants & bars, having personally booked over 300 acts on the West Coast, to franchise development & expansion, overseeing the training of management and the opening of new locations in New York for Panera Bread.
As a business adviser, today his clients range from smaller start-ups to health service providers, government departments, housing authorities, & federal credit unions.
With his range of experience in both the boutique setting and franchise sides of the world, Duane is a master at finding opportunities that few realize exist.
But there’s more. A coach at heart, Duane’s passion for basketball spills onto the court. Having a history of teaching and coaching youth, he has helped mold young athletes, during his 10-year coaching career, in a way that instills lifetime disciplines that transcend the game.
Duane’s expertise rings clear at the Lincoln Theatre. As a native Washingtonian and connoisseur of fine flavors and entertainment, combined with an expertise that can only be learned first-hand, Duane is excited about seeing the rehabilitation of the Lincoln Theatre come to fruition.
Treasurer
Ron Guttu
Re-joined the board in 2023
It is a sincere honor to be able to return to the Lincoln board after an absence of 20 years. Since 1993 I have been a volunteer, a member, a benefactor and a prior board member and board president. I am especially excited to be involved in the 100 year anniversary of the Lincoln Theatre and am committed to the continuous upgrading and restoration of the theater as it enters it’s next 100 years. The board, our staff and most importantly our members will work to assure that the Lincoln Theatre continues to be Skagit counties premier performing arts center. And a heartfelt thanks to all the former foundation board members, staff and members, who since 1987 have worked to make the theater what it is today.
Secretary
Cheri Whitlock-Johnson
Joined the Board in 2023
Born in San Diego, Cheri Whitlock-Johnson has called Mount Vernon her home since she and her late husband relocated here in 1991.
Upon their arrival, Cheri continued her long time career in the title insurance industry. She took a brief hiatus to work in ministry as Assistant to the President and Founder for Youth Dynamics in Burlington. Having started her career in the title industry over 40 years ago, she eventually brought those skills to back to Land Title and Escrow, where she served for 28 years, retiring in 2021.
Cheri is an avid quilter and knitter, working with fabric or yarn most days. She has been active in her church and, having lost her husband in 2018, is a strong advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association, including lobbying in Olympia, serving as a supporter for individuals traveling that road, and when asked, will tell their Alzheimer’s story as an inspirational speaker.
She and her new husband are lovers of the Arts, holding season tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Skagit Symphony. They can be found in the audience of the Lincoln Theatre for many of the live performances or movies. Since retiring, she has been more involved in supporting local organizations and is happy to join the hard-working members of the Board as Secretary.
Board Members
Susan Redd
Teacher, MVHS, ICRS, Retired
Joined the board in 2018
Retired from teaching after 37 years at Mount Vernon High School, then retired again from teaching French and Spanish at Immaculate Conception Regional School for twelve years, Susan is a fan of live theatre and foreign cinema.
Susan has survived eighteen study trips to France, eight to Quebec Province, three to Spain, and four to Mexico. She is also passionate about studies of WWII and the Holocaust’s impact in Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, and France.
The Lincoln Theatre has been part of Susan’s life since 1971.
Conrad Askland
Music Director | Music Technology
Joined the board in 2021
Conrad moved to Skagit in 2006 from California where he worked as a music producer and keyboardist for touring shows. A native of Bellevue, WA, he loves the vibrant live performance arts in Skagit County and the Lincoln theater. He currently works as a music producer, show creator and helps support local performance groups when he is not performing on tours.
Doris Brevoort
Educator | Musician | Family Caregiver | Massage Therapist | Counselor
Joined the board in 2022
Doris practices traditional Swedish massage and reflexology, including acupressure, sound, and biofeedback, bringing brain wellness and biofeedback into her work in massage, teaching, and personal counseling. Her doctoral training was about applications of neuroscience in education and complementary medicine. She has a Washington State Mental Health Counselor Associate license and an office to do massage and counseling in Mount Vernon at the historic Carnation Building.
Germaine Kornegay
Animal House Pet Grooming, owner/operator
Joined the Board in 2023
Due to a Navy move 30 years ago, Germaine Kornegay, Philadelphia native, calls Skagit County home. She raised her daughter, Jasmine Zell, in Skagit county and together they have created many fun memories acting/singing/dancing as well as backstage over the past 20 plus years. Most of those moments were here at the Lincoln Theater.
As a single mom, she put herself through WWU and earned a BA in human services and a Cultural, Equity, Education and Diversity Award. Germaine started her 30-year-old small business, Animal House Pet Grooming, in Sedro-Woolley as a sole proprietorship and she has now lived in Sedro-Woolley for 20 years.
In her spare time, she volunteers for non-profits and serves our community on boards such as the Lincoln Theater and United Way of Skagit County. She has served as first woman and first person of color in city and county political offices. Germaine also enjoys helping to rescue dogs, hanging out with her 3rd rescued Rottweiler Trey, and challenging herself in the garden.
Joe Bowen
Joined the Board in 2023
Joe Bowen was born and raised here in Mount Vernon. By his recollection, he saw his first film in the Lincoln Theater in 1965. A 1980 graduate of MVHS, Joe went on to attend Harvard University, graduating with honors in 1984. He then received his law degree from the University of Washington in 1987 and has practiced here since 1989.
Joe has been involved in Skagit County Theatre since 1993. He first appeared on our stage in 1994 as Charles in Blithe Spirit, and later in A Christmas Carol, The King and I, Romeo and Juliet, Pan - The Musical, and Conrad Askland's Pray The Gay Away as "Dr." Richard Liten. As a director and producer, he helped bring to our stage Pan, Romeo and Juliet, The Outsiders, CATS, The Little Mermaid, Stand and Deliver, Into The Woods, and West Side Story. Joe has also served as President of Skagit Community Arts Theatre and META Performing Arts.
As an attorney, Joe has given pro bono service to various local non-profits. As a volunteer, he has led the Boards of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Skagit County, Top Dog Youth Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending, and the Kiwanis Club of Mt. Vernon. He is also an elder of The Upper Skagit Tribe. But his proudest title is "Dad" to daughters Adia and Alex.
Joe lives in Mount Vernon with his wife Lindsey. He has twice received the honor of Skagit County's Best Lawyer by Skagit Publishing. Joe is proud to join our Board, where he hopes to help us build more Lincoln Theater memories and experiences for our neighbors and visitors to the Skagit Valley.
Past Lincoln Theatre Board Members
For over 30 years, the Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation board has had a variety of community leaders helping out to achieve the theatre's mission. We thank all of them for their efforts and contributions to this important institution.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and if you know someone who was on the board in the past, please let us know!
Letty Alvarez-Gubitosi
Dan Bliven
Lisa Bliven
Linda Bachman
Liz Bart
Glenn Bordner
Art Brown
Eileen Butler
Rebecca Clark
Alice Collingwood
Pat Cromeenes
Steve Denzel
Sandy Dixon
Amanda Ebert
Heidi Epstein
Rick Epting
Ken Fenske
Carol Goetter
Peter Goldfarb
Gina Gray
Dr. Ronald Guttu
Sharon Hill
Margaret Horak
Ray Horak
Nan Hough
Susan Hughes-Hayton
Jan Hunt
Brian Hurst
Carol Johnson
Roger Kelley
Margo Knuth
Meg (Pederson) Kershaw
Ann McDonald
Bobbi Krebs-McMullen
Joe Lamantia
Linda Lipke
Kevin Maas
Patrick Marker
Nathan McGeHee
Krishna Mathison
Kris Molesworth
Tracy Montaron
Ken Morgan
Danielle Mullen
Anita Ordonez
Ellen Palmer
Joan Penney
Helen Kimsey Plowman
Ann C. Reid
Kathy Reim
Rachel Reim-Ledbetter
Roger Ridgeway
Rip Robbins
Valerie Rose
Jim Ross
Penny Roodzant
Christopher Sadler
Steve Skelton
Diane Studley
Bill Taylor
Bill Toomey
Bill Turner
Charlie Urbick
Felicia Value
Bruce Vilders
Mark Vorobik
Kathleen Wadland
Elizabeth Walker
Harry Weldon
Duncan West
Jerry Willins
Ron Wohl
Rob Zwick