Board Meetings
Unless otherwise noted, all board meetings take place on the second Thursday of the month at 6:30pm at Jackson College Bert Walker Hall Room 146. Board meetings are open to all members for observation. Non-members are welcome at the beginning of each meeting!
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January 15, 2026 Rocket Lab (Downtown)
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February 12, 2026
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March 12, 2026
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April 9, 2026
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May 14, 2026
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June 11, 2026
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July 9, 2026
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August 13, 2026
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September 10, 2026
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October 8, 2026
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November 12, 2026
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December 10, 2026
Center Stage Jackson
Welcome to the Board
You do not have to be interested in being on-stage or backstage in order to be on the board of directors, as we are always in need of those talented in business, organizational development, marketing, and more to help keep this non-profit running smoothly. We are looking for dedicated people who are passionate about bringing theater to the Jackson community, with a variety of backgrounds and talents. Do you know someone that fits this description? Feel free to forward this information to them and suggest that they contact us for more information about our needs in the upcoming season!
If you or someone you know would like to help Center Stage Jackson in its mission of cultivating, advancing, and promoting the appreciation of dramatic arts in the Jackson community, contact us at admin@centerstagejackson.org!
Board of Directors
Melissa McElhone has Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees in Theater (and English.) She’s been involved with theater for over 35 years! Melissa joined CSJ in August 2013 & enjoyed performing and directing.Melissa is heavily involved with CSJ’s Youth Theater, having directed the Spring musical since 2014 and enjoyed working with the youth on their recent Zoom productions. Melissa’s community involvement, church Drama Team & Leader of Jackson’s Mothers of Preschoolers group provides the Board strong leadership & teamwork skills. Melissa has also trained in Management Melissa enjoys discovering new ideas and creating excellent theater. She is well-spoken & hard-working. Melissa has worked on numerous committees including Sponsorship and Fundraising: Porkapalooza! She’s been on the Board previously for three years. Melissa looks forward to developing solid relationships, staying committed, and being dedicated to Center Stage Jackson.
experience includes many years in leadership positions with both the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and the Michigan Theatre of Jackson. A lifelong Jackson resident, Tom is passionate about the arts and their vital role in strengthening communities. He believes that strong performing arts organizations like Center Stage Jackson greatly enrich the quality of life for everyone.Jaime is a board certified music therapist and professional musician from Jackson, Mi. She is the owner of Harmony Garden Music Therapy
Services, operating since June 2006, after returning to her hometown upon completing her degree from Michigan State University. Jaime believes in the connecting power of music and has grown her business on the premise that music is for everyone. She sees power in the community music therapy approach which emphasizes human connectedness, well-being, and social change in and through music.
Jaime has been involved in many creative projects and musicals that include productions with the Bon Ton Room, Stage Door Studios, Harmony Garden Music Therapy Services, and Center Stage Jackson. She is both a performer and a director for cabaret productions, loving and showcasing this art form since 2008. You can also find her performing around town with other local musicians in bars and restaurants.
Jaime deeply believes in the community of Jackson and knows that so many amazing and talented people (young and old) can be found here! She hopes that with her entrepreneurial skills and creative mind, that she can bring new ideas and connections within the Center Stage Jackson community as well. She has been active with Center Stage for over 10 years and has made many lasting friendships from this organization. “It’s going to be so much fun to be on the inside, making decisions and supporting community theatre in this new way, as a board member of Center Stage Jackson!”
Caryn has been working with local theater groups for many years including Jackson High School Drama Department, The JCC Drama Club, Summer Stage Jackson, The Bon Ton Room and most recently with Center Stage Jackson. Caryn was the president for the Jackson Community College Drama Club for three years. Caryn has received her associates degree in Art, focused in theater. Caryn has also been certified as a Technical Director. Caryn is experienced in set design and build, sound engineering, stage management and rigging. Outside of theater, Caryn has extensive knowledge of administration management, sales and marketing. Caryn would love to put her skills to use to help with Production Marketing and anywhere she is needed.
Talon is a Business Architect and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. His work experience is generally in Business development or Business strategy and for the last 14 years. Talon has advised businesses in 3 different industries.
To sum it up, as a Business Architect, Talon is a bridge between strategy and execution. He breaks down goals, strategies and targets, assesses current state capabilities and then builds roadmaps of steps or executable efforts required to achieve those goals, strategies or targets.
Talon believes his skill set would be a benefit to Center Stage Jackson and this community and is looking forward to being more involved at many levels.
Brian is a Northwest alumni who continued his education at Michigan Tech graduating with a bachelor’s in Computer and Electrical Engineering. Throughout high school he acted in four musicals. He recently rekindled his interest in theatre, and now lends his technical prowess as our Lighting Engineer.
Tiffany Layman
Tiffany has had the pleasure of being involved with a handful of CSJ Productions since 2006. While mostly on the stage in earlier years, she has also recently enjoyed directing pits and supporting on the production staff side.
With a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a minor in Musical Theatre, Tiffany enjoys all aspects of bringing performance and audience experiences to others. She taught K-5 Elementary Music for a few years, and has had a great variety of performance and organizational experiences across many genres of music; from local A Capella groups and community choirs, to more professional groups.
She has enthusiastically sought out opportunities to support the organizations she has been a part of, from working on a board for a local Educators group, to assisting with promotion and outreach. She looks forward to being a part of the CSJ Board in similar ways.
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