TRINITY REP ELECTS NEW TRUSTEES TO BOARD
PROVIDENCE, RI: Trinity Repertory Company has elected four new members to its Board of Trustees. Jennifer Shaheen, founder and president of Technology Therapy Group, and Vanessa Vigil, belonging and equity coordinator for Lifespan, join the Board for the first time for three-year terms. Residential Properties President Sally Lapides, who previously served on the Board from 2001-2004, and strategic planning marketing consultant Bill Foulkes, who served from 2001-2012, return to the Board for three-year terms. The Trustees’ terms began on July 1.
“I’m excited to start working with this newly elected group of Trustees because they bring extraordinary skills to the table,” Chair of the Board Kibbe Reilly said. “They are proven leaders in their chosen fields of work, they represent communities across the state of Rhode Island, they come from diverse experiences, and most importantly, they all love Trinity Rep. I can’t wait to see how they will participate in and influence the work of the Board in the coming year.”
Board Vice Chairs Noni Thomas López and Ken Sigel, Treasurer John Lombardo, and Secretary Nancy Smith Greer were all re-elected for one-year terms in their respective leadership positions. Current Chair of the Board Kibbe Reilly was elected to a three-year term in 2023 and is now entering her term’s second year.
Trustees reelected for another three-year term include Karen Allen Baxter, Hannah Bell-Lombardo, Linda Cohen, Michael Évora, Avery Willis Hoffman, Doris Licht, John Lombardo, Noni Thomas López, Joseph Madden, Shankar Prasad, and Sean Redfern.
Trinity Rep extends its thanks to Guillaume Bagal, Cheryl Clarkin, and Marisa Quinn, who completed their service on the Board.
ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.
Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for nearly two million audience members.
Trinity Rep’s 2024-25 Season runs through June 2025, and includes productions of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B, A Christmas Carol, Someone Will Remember Us, La Tempestad – The Tempest, and Blues for an Alabama Sky. Subscriptions are on sale now. For more information, visit Trinity Rep’s website at www.trinityrep.com.
MEET THE TRUSTEES
Bill Foulkes is a strategic planning and marketing consultant, entrepreneur, and faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His work centers around the complementary aspects of design and business frameworks. The course he created for RISD, “Design and Entrepreneurial Thinking,” introduces artists and designers to business concepts, enhancing their abilities to bring their ideas to reality. This curriculum originated during Bill’s tenure as the executive director of The Center for Design and Business at RISD. The Center helped business, educational institutions, and government entities engage in collaborative design research projects with RISD students, faculty, and alumni.
Bill has nearly 30 years of experience in strategic planning, people development, marketing, and finance. In his work with technology and consumer goods companies, he successfully identified, communicated and implemented new business concepts and initiatives; led organizational change; built strategic partner relationships; and led creative processes.
Having last served on Trinity Rep’s Board of Trustees over a decade ago, Bill has also served on and led numerous others including the Slater Technology Fund, weft.design, Delta Dental, the Rhode Island Board of Education, and the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education, among others. Bill holds an AB in History from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Sally Lapides is president and chief executive officer of Residential Properties Ltd. (RPL), Rhode Island’s premier residential real estate firm, co-founded in 1981. A lifelong Rhode Islander originally from Barrington, Sally provides energetic leadership and vision for the company, overseeing nine offices, a relocation division, a commercial real estate division, approximately 240 agents, and a large support staff. A pioneer in many respects, Sally has been consistently forward-thinking, outpacing the competition while providing better service to clients. RPL is a leader in technology, having been one of the first to incorporate an online presence in its branding. RPL was also a founding member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, the country’s largest network of top independent residential real estate firms. She is also a nationally recognized expert in the local market, frequently quoted by prominent news organizations such as The Providence Journal, Providence Business News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, WJAR TV, WPRI TV, WRNI radio, and 920 AM radio. Sally has been recognized as a leading woman in business by both Providence Business News and Rhode Island Monthly magazine.As the president of a woman-owned, family-run company, Sally has instilled her values throughout every aspect of RPL’s operations, including even-tempered expertise, an inclusive environment with a generous spirit, and dedication to the people and communities RPL serves. Involved in many important causes, she has provided oversight on the board of Global Alliance to Immunize Against AIDS (GAIA) and The Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Action Campaign Committee, which raised $1 million for the LGBTQI+ community. She also served on the board of Year Up Rhode Island, an organization dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for young adults and has successfully mentored several students. Living in Providence with husband Arthur Solomon, Sally has two adult sons: Emmett Barnacle, a local artist, and Ian Barnacle, who manages RPL’s Barrington, Little Compton, and Westport offices.
Jennifer Shaheen is the founder and president of Technology Therapy® Group (TTG). Over a 20-year career, she has worked in the luxury jewelry, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing industries as a digital advisor. Countless businesses and nonprofits can testify to her prowess in translating, planning, and implementing digital marketing and technology to improve their results.
An established thought leader, Jennifer Shaheen has appeared on MSNBC’s “Your Business” and contributed to publications like Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, CIO, Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Beyond her role at TTG, Jennifer educates on digital trends through SCORE and serves on the board of C. F. Martin & Co.
Vanessa Vigil is currently Lifespan’s belonging and equity coordinator, where she brings her passion for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion to the organization. Before joining Lifespan, Vanessa was the Operations and Program Manager at a non-profit organization focusing on advancing equity in education. In her role, Vanessa oversaw the development and management of the organization’s internal operations and systems and managed the TA2BA program. TA2BA is an alternative certification teacher diversity program that seeks to recruit, develop, support, and retain a more racially, linguistically, and ethnically diverse teacher workforce.Vanessa is a Providence, RI native committed to strengthening her community and promoting equitable access to education and healthcare across the city. She holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and an executive master’s degree in healthcare leadership from Brown University. Vanessa firmly believes that education is a powerful tool for social change and is dedicated to advancing equity in all aspects of society.
Vanessa serves on several boards of healthcare and community organizations. In addition, she spends much of her time exploring topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in the healthcare field.
