Edward W. Rucker Named as President and CEO

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

July 19, 2007

 
Today Gary W. Taylor, Chair of the Board of Directors for The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville, Inc., announced that Edward W. Rucker, has been selected as the President and Chief Executive Officer for the historic theater. 

Rucker is currently President for The Richmond Forum, a position he has held through 14 seasons. Under his leadership the Forum, which has come to be known as the premiere public forum in the United States, has featured pairings of speakers such as James Carville and Newt Gingrich, former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and James Baker, and Benazir Bhutto and Queen Noor, as well as performance-oriented presentations by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Wynton Marsalis, and B.B. King.

Rucker will step into his new role as President and CEO of The Paramount Theater on September 17.   He has agreed to work with the Forum through a transition period while his successor is selected, and to develop plans for the opening night program on November 3rd featuring former Mexican President Vicente Fox.

A 19-year Charlottesville resident, Ed Rucker served as Director of Development and Government Relations of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities from 1988 to 1993.  He is a 1989 graduate of Leadership Charlottesville, and has been involved with a number of Charlottesville-based organizations such as Piedmont Council of the Arts, Second Street Gallery, and the Virginia Film Festival. 

“After an in-depth search process in which we reviewed 71 possible CEOs from across the country, we couldn’t be more pleased to find the best candidate right in our backyard, Taylor said.  “Ed Rucker has the vision, enthusiasm, and experience to lead The Paramount Theater forward, stepping fully into its role as a premiere arts, education, and entertainment venue for the entire Central Virginia region.”

The restored 1931 Paramount reopened in 2004, and presents more than 80 events per year including live concerts and performances in nearly every musical genre, drama, dance, comedy, and family shows as well as films.  The theater’s educational programs -- school time performances, workshops, and master classes -- were attended by over 10,000 students regionally in the 2006-07 season.  Also used as a rental venue by outside promoters and groups, the theater has recently established a Community Performance Access Fund to help local arts organizations present performances at the theater.