Board of Directors

All board members serve as volunteers; their interest in serving the theatrical community through SSPA is founded in years of support for and involvement in the craft of the art.

President - Joe Linscott

Joe is a local business owner and real estate professional. Joe was born and raised in Reno Nevada, and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in Business Management. Joe is a supporter of local arts and has participated in and enjoyed performing arts in the area from a young age—including appearing in past SSPA performances as a young adult. Joe appreciates the life benefits he has experienced from developing performance skills, and he looks forward to continuing the wonderful future of Sierra School of Performing Arts.

Vice President - open

Treasurer - Penny Thill

Penny brings more than 40 years of accounting and human resource expertise to SSPA. She is currently a staff accountant at DiPietro & Thornton. Penny’s thirty years of experience in construction accounting has given her the experience to deal with budgets, schedules and time restraints on all types of projects, large and small, that SSPA undertakes.

Secretary - Polly Boardman

Polly is excited to join the Board of Directors at SSPA in 2020! A lifelong resident of Northern Nevada, she is a strong supporter of the local performing arts scene and was introduced to SSPA by one of her daughter’s involvement in musical theatre. Polly is an Associate Vice President at Michael Baker International, Inc., an engineering, architecture, and mapping consulting firm. She will be heading up the Fundraising and Events Committee for SSPA and looks forward to seeing everyone at the 15th Anniversary Event in August 2020!

Advisor - Barbara Brand

Barbara is new to Reno having moved from Boise, Idaho where she was very active in the musical theater scene. She was a member of The Music Theatre of Idaho for nearly 17 years where she performed, directed, choreographed, and costumed. Throughout that time, she also enjoyed directing local high school productions even after her four children were grown and graduated. She knows the importance of the arts in the community and is excited to join SSPA and to help support the arts here in Reno.

Advisor - Kelsey Gundersen

Kelsey was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. Her mother, Lisa Gunderson, was a founding member of Sierra School of Performing Arts. As a child, Kelsey was involved in the early days of SSPA and is now happy to return as an adult. Kelsey is currently an attorney at Woodburn and Wedge. She graduated from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law in 2019, and Rollins College in 2015. Kelsey is excited to bring her love of theater, as well as her legal knowledge and experience to the SSPA Board of Directors.

Advisor - Beth Honebein

Beth has found a niche writing grants and keeping an eye on the website for Sierra School of Performing Arts. With a professional background in advertising and marketing, she spent 10 years at advertising agencies in San Francisco and Indiana. In 1994, she moved to Reno and started her own manufacturing business, AuntieA's. As an entrepreneur, she is involved in every aspect of business, from making products and ordering inventory, to sales, marketing, and accounting, even sweeping the warehouse floor. Beth has put this ability to do whatever needs to be done to work in a variety of volunteer endeavors. She is proud to lend these talents to the amazingly creative people of SSPA.