Latest / Rick Outzen: (we don’t) color on the dog / Meet Sandy Cox
Transcript
- Rick Outzen: Back. We're Rick's blog live. Of course, the blog is rick's blog.biz. I'm Rick Altson, publisher and owner of In Weekly, Rick's Blog. We don't color on the dog podcast in this show. So thank you for watching it. Like and subscribe us when you see us on YouTube. That helps us out a lot and helps move that algorithm up for what we're trying to do. We have a new executive director of the Pensacola Little Theater. We have her with us right now, Sandy Cox. Sandy, thank you for joining us. Well All Sandy Cox: Thank you for having me. Rick Outzen: right. Where's your favorite place to eat? Sandy Cox: my gosh, I've been here two and a half days. though I I have to give a shout out shout out. the Pearl and Horn I went to last night and I have a picture. They made a dessert plate for me and they had the comedy masks on the plate and chocolate. And it with the nice little welcomes. that's Yeah, it was very sweet, very sweet. my gosh, Sandy Clinton. Rick Outzen: So who is Sandy Cox? We only have about nine minutes. We have nine minutes in the verse. You get you we're on the elevator. Give me the elevator. Sandy Cox: Yes, the elbow. So, I'm actually an engineer by trade, believe it or not. I went to Georgia Tech a few mo moons ago and spent a career running operations and manufacturing in tech. And one day as a mom, I brought my daughter to a local theater for her to learn learn how to stand and deliver. And I became a theater mom at that point and then next thing I knew I was on the board and then next thing you knew I was running a theater. And you know, it's just been a an interesting evolution of time and and having that that opportunity to take all those great business skills you learn in tech and then go do something fun in the arts. I have Rick Outzen: But you've also been a mayor? Sandy Cox: been a mayor. I skipped over that. Well, you Rick Outzen: painful memory? No. Sandy Cox: know you know what, it was it was a great memory, because I got to serve during COVID. and and I also love to say, you know, we we had a couple I I don't know if you heard of Snowmageddon in Texas. Yes. Yes, yes. So I was also mayor during during that point. but it was a great time because you know I really went out to the community to find out what did the community want for Lakeway, the city I was the mayor of. And we built a ten year plan at that point and and put the strategy behind it and started putting the funding behind it and it's still Rick Outzen: that engineering background helps with something like that. Spreadsheets and timetables. So Sandy Cox: Exactly, exactly, yeah. Rick Outzen: what drew you to Pensacola and the little theater? Sandy Cox: my goodness, it that that's a lot more than ten minutes. you know it's it'll give you two. You give me two? All right, fine. well to start off with, my husband and I have been wanting to move to the coast for a long time. And I know this is sacrilegious, but I don't count Texas as a as a beach or coast. so we've we've come this way for many, many moons and you know, we we've been looking and thinking about, you know, moving over the years and We just bought a beach house in Gulf Shores and I was visiting with some friends and we were talking about our, you know, what we wanted to do in life and they said, you know, there's a there's an executive director position open at the local theater. I was like, No. Like, you should apply. Well, I applied and here we are. not something that I had dreamed would happen. but you know, when when I started looking at the Pensacola Little Theater, I just got so energized and excited. it has such a tremendous history here in Pensacola and I love, you know, the dualities of it with having an academy. It produces the shows, beautiful historic building, great people, patrons, you know, as I kept meeting more and more people affiliated with it, just the heart and the care from the community and the board and the staff, for really trying to make art and And and getting to do it downtown here. Rick Outzen: what makes a good art organization? Let's say well we'll go ahead and say a little theater. What what makes a good one? Or a great one. Yeah, let's go great. Sandy Cox: A good one. You know, it's a great one. let's talk about it. We're gonna go great. You know, I think you you have to listen to your community. You need to know what your community is looking for and help help them also understand what they're looking for. but it's also a great volunteer base. you know I I don't know if people know but most of art is done for free. very few people are paid and so people that wanna come out and help build sets or Stitch costumes, help usher, you know, that heart of the community coming out and wanting to see it succeed. a great board of directors, you know, people that can help us guide us, you know, what the strategy is and how to make sure that you know we're reaching our fundraising goals. you know, we're we're thinking about what's next for the the organization and then having a great staff. you know, Penn School Little Theater is so fortunate with the people that have been with it for a long time. Our artistic director, Kathy, is fantastic. Brenda Ha Brenda Hamilton just joined us as the education director just a couple weeks ago. She toured in Wicked and was a roquette for a long time. So the the theater just attracts really incredible people. You if you look at our board of directors, it's almost a who's who of Pensacola. Rick Outzen: It is. And and you look at it in and it's the building is so alive because I've you know, our kids our our kids are grown now, but they did Ballet Pensacola, they did Treehouse Theater, they they have been in and out of that building and and it's such a vibrancy in the building because you have all you have the adults and you have the but you have the that kid energy is fun. And and that adds a lot to the to the building. Sandy Cox: Yeah, my my first day, my office is on the same floor as the Academy classes and they were auditioning and just the energy in that hallway. It was well, you know, you just sit there and you're just smiling, right? You know, 'cause you see these kids, they're they're early teens and they're about ready to go do the most terrifying thing. Right. You know, and do a one minute monologue in front of someone, right? And the courage that comes from that and you know, the process they go through. Like y maybe you're not gonna do something in theater long term, but you just built some skills that Rick Outzen: The confidence, the ability to stand before people, all that adds to all of it. Yes. The well, we're coming up on the break, but I I I really I'm I'm excited about little theater. I'm excited that the Little Theater Board chose to go outside the community because that's always a frightening for board and to willing to to do that. But when you bring someone in with your background, you're bringing a whole new set of talents and skill sets that add to the mix of what's already it's a great foundation. And I think so kudos to the board for for be willing to to take that chance. I don't see it as a chance. When I look at your bio and I look at all the things you've done, I I see it as a brilliant move. But I but I think that that's as you have seen, you know, and all the different hats you've worn, that's a big step for someone to take. Sandy Cox: Absolutely. Absolutely. You don't know me, right? Right, right. I I haven't had coffee with you. you haven't known me for ten years, right? and so yes, I I'm very appreciative and blessed that they chose me and I'm excited to be here. I think yeah, we're gonna have a lot of fun and I'm gonna spend the next bit, you know, getting to meet people, listen, listen to the commute. What are what are we doing great? What would you like us to do? Right. You know, Rick Outzen: That's a good thing someone the outside can do. Sandy, thank you so much for coming. Appreciate Sandy Cox: Thank you for having me. Rick Outzen: it. I'm not as bad as people think. Sandy Cox: No, you're not. Rick Outzen: See, that's it. We're gonna go ahead and take a break. We've got one more guest. Stay with us. We're Rick's blog live. I'm Rick Alson. We'll be right back.