J.R. Roberts is President of the Plaza Theatre Foundation and has led the vision to restore the historic Plaza Theatre as a vibrant cultural centerpiece for Palm Springs. Guided by a deep passion for historic preservation, he took on the project to help save the theatre, support the City, and bring the arts back to the heart of downtown.

Over the past six years, J.R., together with a committed all-volunteer board, has built the Foundation from scratch—raising funds and overseeing the theatre’s $34 million restoration, and assembling the team responsible for its operations and programming. The work continues today, with ongoing fundraising to secure the theatre’s future and help subsidize diverse, high-quality programming for the community.

J.R.’s background in public service includes serving as Planning Commissioner and Vice Mayor of Palm Springs, as well as Mayor of Sausalito. He also played a leadership role in developing the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center. His work reflects an enduring commitment to preservation, community, and creating places that bring people together.

Mark moved to Palm Springs in 2007 from California’s Silicon Valley, where he was a marketing executive for enterprise software start-ups. Over his 30-year career, Mark’s marketing experience helped grow four companies from start-ups through Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). 

He retired in 2013 and, for over ten years, served on the Board of Directors of DAP Health, a community health clinic, and Vista Sunrise, a low-income housing provider in Palm Springs.  

His passion for restoring vibrancy to the City of Palm Springs drives his efforts at the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre. 

Kevin brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in sales performance, customer engagement, and organizational development to his work in the Palm Springs community. His career includes senior executive roles in both global corporations and entrepreneurial ventures, including serving as Senior Vice President of Strategic Services at Onyx Software Corporation and as CEO and Co‑Founder of RevenueLab, a go‑to‑market strategy and revenue acceleration consultancy later acquired by Onyx. He also spent 16 years with Learning International (formerly Xerox Learning Systems), a global leader in sales and management training.  In addition to his corporate and consulting work, Kevin is the Founder and President of Artful Travelers, LLC, a relationship‑building consultancy that partners with organizations to create meaningful, mission‑aligned travel experiences. Under his leadership, Artful Travelers recently celebrated its 50th cruise in partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line.  Kevin is deeply committed to strengthening the Palm Springs community. He currently serves as Chairman of the Palm Springs Airport Commission, guiding the transformative $2.2B expansion of the airport, and as President of the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs. A resident for more than two decades, he is a passionate advocate for the restoration of the historic Plaza Theatre and the continued cultural and economic vibrancy of downtown Palm Springs.

A resident of Palm Springs since 2002, Rick Vila brings decades of global aviation and executive leadership experience to his work. He retired from United Airlines after serving in senior roles across Human Resources, Labor Relations, Inflight Service, and Customer Service. Earlier in his career, he held positions with Pan Am, Air France, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, developing deep expertise in international operations and high-level client service.

Today, Rick works independently as a financial concierge to private clients, overseeing seven-figure portfolios, multiple real estate holdings, and household staff with discretion, precision, and strategic oversight.

Born in Havana, Rick is fluent in English, Spanish, and French. He is a founding executive board member and Secretary of the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation. He also brings extensive volunteer experience as an HIV/AIDS activist and as a mentor with the Palm Springs Unified School District.

Outside of his professional and civic commitments, Rick enjoys cooking, yoga, hiking, and traveling the world with his husband, Ken Lyon.

Carol Adney sees the historic Plaza Theatre as the key anchor of downtown Palm Springs, and one of the few remaining sites that recognizes the past of this growing and vital Coachella Valley. Thanks to her prized memories of unforgettable experiences of the past Palm Springs Follies and her passion for historic preservation, Carol became a significant financial supporter of the restoration of the Plaza Theatre. Carol’s goal is to leverage her successful experience directing a $13 Million Capital Campaign

in Coachella Valley to help the Plaza Theatre realize her vision as a place for the community of residents and visitors to gather for frequent educational, cultural, and affordable activities.

Her non-profit career in the visual arts involved museums, university galleries, and serving as a Cultural Affairs Supervisor for a municipality in Northern California. In that position, Carol was responsible for a National Historic Place.

Ms. Adney serves on the Plaza Theatre’s committees for Fundraising and Fundraising Events. In addition, she is a dedicated former volunteer for the Palm Desert Cultural Arts Committee, many women in recovery, and the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Liaison to City Council.

Jeffrey is a Palm Springs City Councilmember. He chairs the Desert Community Energy Board, serves on the Joint Powers Authority for Visit Greater Palm Springs and on the boards of the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Palm Springs Sister City Committee.

Judith spent thirty-five years in Washington, D.C. working in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, she worked at Chevron as Manager of Federal Government Relations where she specialized in environmental and technology issues working with members of Congress and Federal agencies. Before that Judith worked on Capitol Hill for the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee as Deputy Staff Director, working with 25 members of Congress and overseeing 78 Congressional staffers. There she managed numerous pieces of legislation and was also responsible for overseeing numerous Congressional investigations related to government waste, fraud, and abuse. Judith is retired and recently completed a total renovation of her father’s home in Palm Springs. She is involved in a variety of volunteer and non-profit activities. Her passion to see the Plaza Theatre restored to its earlier glory stems from her father’s love of the Plaza Theatre and his love of the “Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.” Her fundraising work with the Foundation serves as a tribute to her father.

General Manager. 

John Bolton, CVE, currently serves at Senior Vice President for Oak View Group just completing the new Historic Plaza Theatre Restoration Project in downtown Palm Springs. Prior to moving to Palm Springs to build and open the $300 million dollar Acrisure Arena, Bolton served as Vice President of Entertainment for ASM Global, the world’s largest venue management company.   In this position, Bolton worked with ASM Global Arenas Stadiums, and Theatres in the presentation of some 32,000 live events annually.

Locally, Bolton serves on the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (President 2026-2027) as well as the Visit Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau.  The Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce awarded their recent President’s Award to Bolton for his work facilitating the new Acrisure Arena project for the Coachella Valley in Southern California.   

In 2023, the Desert Sun named Bolton as “Desert Person of the Year” in the Coachella Valley.  In 2025, Billboard Magazine named Bolton to their “Pride 2025 List: Top Music Business Execs – Movers & Shakers.”  In 2026, Bolton was named to the Pollstar & Venues Now Magazine “Hall of Honor.”

Coming from southwest Louisiana, I am a passionate believer in the vital role the arts play in our community and daily life. And now that I’m a full-time Palm Springs resident, I value the significant economic and social impact the Plaza Theatre has on our city and the entire Coachella Valley. 

I bring extensive experience serving on nonprofit boards across the arts, healthcare, education, and social service sectors.
Professionally, my 19-year career in the airline industry—spanning New York, New Jersey, Houston, and Cincinnati—has focused on customer relations and client retention. From the world headquarters of one airline, I led an educational team dedicated to training frontline employees to ensure service excellence. 

I am excited to be using my professional experience, combined with my dedication to the arts, to benefit the Plaza Theatre and its mission. 

Carolyn Caldwell is a seasoned healthcare executive and respected community leader serving on the Board of the historic Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs. With a distinguished career as a hospital CEO and healthcare executive, she brings decades of experience in governance, strategic planning, financial stewardship, and community partnership to the Theatre’s revitalization and long-term sustainability efforts. 

Carolyn is widely recognized for her ability to lead complex organizations through transformation, capital development, and regulatory environments while maintaining a strong focus on mission, culture, and community impact. Her governance expertise includes board relations, executive oversight, philanthropy strategy, and stakeholder engagement — skills that directly support the Plaza Theatre’s restoration and role as a cultural cornerstone of Palm Springs. 

Deeply committed to civic engagement, Carolyn has been actively involved in advancing access, equity, and opportunity across the Coachella Valley. Her leadership reflects a passion for preserving historic institutions while positioning them for relevance and vitality in the future. 

As a board member, she is dedicated to ensuring the Plaza Theatre remains a vibrant center for arts, culture, and community connection for generations to come. 

Jim has 50 years of radio, television and show business experience, retiring from his position as a senior executive and president of the creative division at I-Heart Media in 2013. He is an in-demand docent, lecturer, and author, as well as the official Plaza Theatre historian. He serves on the advisory board for the Young Artist Academy Awards in Hollywood and runs his own audio and video production facility in Palm Springs.

Teddy is an award-winning filmmaker and the Founder and Director of the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival and Film Fund (AmDocs) in Palm Springs, as well as the Director of the Architecture Design Art Film Festival (ADAFF). AmDocs’ year-round mission is to enhance and encourage education outreach through film as well as international conference and filmmaker exchanges. Teddy has worked on several Hollywood films in addition to directing live television. He continues to work as an editorial and production consultant on films in development as well as in the rough-cut stages. His recent films include The Bill Murray Experience and Planet of The Humans (executive produced by Michael Moore). Teddy’s focus on the Plaza Theatre Board is to attract talent to the theatre and develop and produce successful fundraising events for the Plaza Theater to help us reach our goals to restore the theatre.

Honored to join the Board of the Plaza Theatre Foundation, partnering with a team of professionals who are dedicated to this historic and iconic community entertainment venue. 
Raising charitable gifts for non-profit organizations has been my professional career for the last 25 years. My most recent 13 years was raising money for patient care, nursing education, and cardiovascular research as the Foundation President for Cincinnati, Ohio’s most preferred, and #1 ranked hospital network. Prior to that, I worked five years as Foundation Vice President for the largest hospital system in Houston, Texas, and another five years as Foundation Senior Director with Houston’s largest graduate school health university. 
 Born and raised in Cincinnati, my 44-year career in healthcare took me to cities around the country but I am now proud to call Palm Springs my permanent home.  With that comes a deep personal obligation to invest in my community and to give back in ways that leave our city better than when I arrived. My passion for the Plaza Theatre is one such dedication to my hometown.  
My volunteerism on non-profit boards began 32 years ago in New Jersey and continues to this day. 
 

David is the Foundation’s single largest donor to date with his recent $5 million challenge grant to support the restoration effort. David has worked extensively in television comedy, writing, and producing Cheers and The Jeffersons, and writing, directing and co-creating Wings and Frasier. He is also an award-winning director and writer for the theater, examples ranging from South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl (with Reba McEntire) to a pre-Broadway tryout of his revised musical Can-Can. His new version of the classic Camelot currently has productions worldwide. David has won nine Primetime Emmy Awards (18 nominations). He also won the Directors Guild Award, the Golden Globe Award, Producers Guild Award, GLAAD Media Award, British Comedy Award, three Television Critics Association Awards, two Humanitas Prizes, and the Peabody Award. David’s focus on the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Board is to bring the theater back to vibrant life, respecting its past as well as making it a working asset to the community in the future.

Ronald co-founded the publicly traded Winmark and held the positions of co-chairman, president, and CEO until 2000. He was named Minnesota Entrepreneur of Year in 1996 and founded NTY Franchise Company, a private company that franchises value retail brands, in 2006. He serves on the board of trustees of his alma mater, North State University.

Brian is an American session musician, guitarist, bassist, singer-songwriter, and musical director. Brian started his career at age 19 playing with Etta James with whom he stayed for 14 years. He is best known for his 20 years of working as a bass, rhythm, and lead guitarist with Paul McCartney. He is also on Paul McCartney’s touring band. Brian has also worked with an extensive list of artists in addition building to his own solo career. Brian was asked to join the effort to raise money for the restoration of the Plaza Theatre by Spike Edney of the band Queen. In Brian’s own words “There’s nothing more exciting than playing small theaters with the ambience and history of a place like The Plaza, and my intention is to help preserve it for generations to come.”

The Plaza Theatre holds a special place in my heart, not only as an iconic cultural landmark in Palm Springs but also as a place where I have always dreamed of being involved. From a young age, my parents instilled in me a love for the theater, sharing their passion for the arts, which greatly influenced my own dedication to this field. I promised myself that one day when I moved to Palm Springs, I would contribute to the Plaza Theatre’s legacy. 

My background in event production within the Palm Springs community has provided me with valuable skills that I believe would benefit the board. Since 2019, I have teleprompted for the Palm Springs Film Festival Gala each year, gaining insight into the local arts and events scene. More recently, I have supported a variety of galas across the desert, including events for The Living Desert, teleprompter services for press events and project updates. These experiences have strengthened my skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning, equipping me to support the Plaza Theatre Foundation’s mission.

The Plaza Theatre’s cultural significance and history drive my commitment to helping preserve and promote this iconic venue. I am passionate about collaborating with the board to ensure the theatre remains a vibrant part of Palm Springs’ artistic landscape. I am excited to bring my skills, dedication, and love for the community to the Foundation, working to secure the theatre’s future and celebrate its legacy.

Joe Tanner holds degrees from Harvard University in economics and the University of Texas Law School and has put that education to work as part of a diverse career. Joe and his management team have started four entrepreneurial ventures from the ground up, taking two of them public on NASDAQ. The firms included the invention and manufacturing of complex medical devices, building the 6th largest disposable baby diaper company in the world, a software firm in Redmond Washington, and complex electronics manufacturing. Joe also served in the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives and practiced corporate law with a large Northwest law firm. Currently Joe owns a chain of convenience stores, a real estate development firm, and two large floating home and yacht marinas.

Joe and his wife Catherine own a home in the Indian Canyon neighborhood of Palm Springs. Both Joe and Catherine have backgrounds in the restoration of historic buildings and were drawn to the wonderful work of the Plaza Theater Foundation. Each hopes to make major contributions in the ongoing mission of the theater. Catherine was co-author of Desert Dream to Silver Screen: The Story of the Historic Palm Springs Plaza Theater, and Joe looks forward to working on sustainable entertainment, education, and funding programs that will help ensure ongoing success.

Joe is a world traveler, having visited 65 countries and flown seven million actual miles over the past 30 years, in part related to his international business ventures. Joe served in the U.S. Navy including 26 months in Viet Nam, has three children and five grandchildren, was a marathon runner and motorcycle rider, and is an avid boater and Vice Commodore of a yacht club.

Ken Wachter is the retired President & CEO of PMI Entertainment Company a venue management company based in Green Bay Wisconsin. As CEO he spearheaded the design and construction of the Resch Center Arena (10,000 seat) and Resch Expo Hall (130,000 square foot). Along with their Wisconsin venues PMI also managed the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines, Iowa, ran the Tri-Cities Coliseum in Kennewick, Washington and helped renovate and then ran the historic Meyer Theater in Green Bay.

PMI also purchased the Green Bay Gamblers Hockey franchise and provided numerous services for the Green Bay Packers. PMI also became independent promoters bringing the first concerts to Lambeau Field, and produced a Tall Ship Festival along with a Boat Show, Home Show, RV& Camping, along with many others.

Prior to moving to Green Bay Ken was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Anaheim Angels during their ownership by the Disney Corporation. While in Anaheim he was involved in the renovation of Angel Stadium and was responsible for sales activities along with game entertainment, public relations, ticketing, and all marketing campaigns for the stadium and both franchises.

Ken started his career in the entertainment business working for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and all of its properties. These included Walt Disney’s World on Ice, Holiday on Ice, Ice Follies, American Gladiators Live Tour, and Siegfried & Roy in Las Vegas.

Kathy is an attorney by training but spent more than 25 years in the real estate industry, developing and financing affordable housing in Massachusetts and California. She was the Executive Director of two non-profit housing development corporations, Fields Corner Housing Development Corporation and Santa Monica Community Corporation, where she built and managed affordable housing portfolios. 

She retired as Chief of Lending for Southern California at the California Housing Finance Agency, where she oversaw the construction and permanent lending for affordable rental housing projects, as well as writing and handling the Agency’s special needs programs, including the development of a $400 million Mental Health Services Housing Program. 

Kathy also served six years on the Santa Monica Planning Commission and thirteen years on the Palm Springs Planning Commission, where she is currently the Chair. She has also served as Co-Chair of the Palm Springs Citizens Advisory Group of District Representation and is a member of the Library Board of Trustees. 

Kathy’s focus on the Palm Springs Theatre Foundation Board is to secure funding to build an abiding legacy for the Plaza Theatre and the community it serves.