Board of Directors
Joe Naftal
Chairman, Board of Directors
Joe Naftal
Chairman, Board of Directors
Joe Naftal is a business leader and growth strategist, serving as CEO of Penny Prima® and ShowSculptor, and COO of Dance Connection. He is also an accomplished lighting designer specializing in theatre, dance, opera, and themed entertainment. His lighting design work has been seen at Area Stage Company, Wonderbound Ballet, Keigwin + Company, Holiday World Theme Park, the Adrienne Arsht Center, the Philadelphia Academy of Music, John W. Engeman Theatre, Hofstra University, and many more.
As a lighting supervisor and assistant lighting designer, Joe’s credits include productions with the Paul Taylor Dance Company (Lincoln Center & U.S. Tour), Phantom of the Opera (Broadway), Dog Man The Musical, The Gentleman Caller, Laramie: A Legacy, Bulldozer, The Mad Ones (Off-Broadway), as well as with American Ballet Theatre, Alberta Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Washington Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and Piedmont Opera.
In addition to his design work, Joe has served as an adjunct professor of theatre design at Adelphi University, Nassau Community College, and Five Towns College, and has guest lectured at Hofstra University. He has presented seminars on marketing and production for performing arts organizations nationwide. His book on dance production is published and distributed across North America, Europe, and Australia.
Through his companies, Joe supports arts businesses across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia with software, merchandise, and licensed programming.
Having grown up at CM Performing Arts Center, Joe is honored to serve today as Chairman of the Board of Directors, bringing his expertise in creative leadership, production design, marketing, strategic growth, and academia to help guide the organization's continued success and growth.
Joe holds a BFA in Design & Production from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is a proud member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and United Scenic Artists (USA).
- Email:joe@cmpac.com
Bob Solak
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Bob Solak
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Bob is a Contract Manager for Educational & Institutional Cooperative
Services, Inc. (E&I), a New York not-for-profit Corporation located in Jericho, NY. He has been there since the year 2000 serving the needs of the Higher Education and K-12 markets by saving them money through their portfolio of cooperative contracts. His responsibilities include oversight of the contracts used by the members of the Cooperative in the
facilities category, negotiating new contracts and improvements to existing contracts with suppliers and providing creative solutions to the unique customer service needs of the members. He has lived on Long Island for more than twenty five years with his wife and their two children. CM became a part of his life when he saw Journey Cross and Crucifixion for the first time, many years ago at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Holbrook. Friends who were involved with Journey back then invited him to join the troupe the next season. From the start of rehearsals in his first season he could tell that this was something special and he wanted to make this an annual part of his life. A few years later, his children also joined the Troupe. In his many years of involvement and service to this committed and faithful group of people he has encouraged others to join and live the experience for themselves. Now, being part of the Board of Directors it is his hope to be a catalyst within the organization to help nurture and provide a venue for the talented people who come through the doors of CMPAC.
- Email:bob@cmpac.com
Malika Batchie-Lockhart
Recording Secretary, Board of Directors
Malika Batchie-Lockhart
Recording Secretary, Board of Directors
Malika Batchie Lockhart is pleased to return to CMPAC. She began her time here in 1998 with the production of The Wiz and performed in several productions afterwards.
Malika is currently the Assistant Director of Campus Activities & Multicultural Affairs at the Ammerman Campus of Suffolk County Community College. She holds her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and African Studies with a minor in Theatre as well as her Master's Degree in Social Work. With over 20 years in higher education serving as a counselor, professor, and administrator, she hopes to bring this same passion for education and building community to her new role as Director.
Malika is extremely grateful for the theatre home that Noel Ruiz and Joe Campanello introduced to her. She hopes to display this gratitude by assisting in strengthening the sense of an inclusive community and help keep the legacy of CMPAC alive and well.
- Email:malika@cmpac.com
Suzanne Neske
Corresponding Secretary, Board of Directors
Suzanne Neske
Corresponding Secretary, Board of Directors
Suzanne Neske earned her BA in English at Nasson College in Springdale, Maine, and worked toward her MLS/Theatre Emphasis at SBU. She also attended a Summer Program at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. Her love of acting, singing, and performing led her to many roles throughout college as well as singing in local bands. Suzanne is a retired English teacher who taught several courses including AP Literature and Composition, Drama and Acting, and Public Speaking for 40 years at Connetquot High School. At the HS, she advised many activities and directed plays for 17 years. In 2012, Suzanne was one of four finalists in the New York State United Teachers Teacher of the Year Award.
- Email:suzanne@cmpac.com
Ellen Dumlao
Board of Directors
Ellen Dumlao
Board of Directors
Ellen is an honors graduate of Boston's Berklee College of Music and studied Voice and Vocal Performance at The Boston Conservatory of Music. She is the lead female vocalist of Rhapsody (www.rhapsodytheband.com), voted Long Island's best wedding band by Best of Long Island for its fifth consecutive year. She has been part of the CM family since its inception 30 years ago. Ellen was one of the original instructors of CM’s Summer Arts Educational Programs at Knickerbocker. She worked as a CM Musical Director and as Director for the Children's Theater and main-stage productions. She has seen the journey of this "impossible dream" from its humble start at Knickerbocker Ave and to Dante Court before it settled in its longtime home off Montauk Highway. CM continues to be a HOME for her as it does for so many in the CM community for which all of us remain forever in debt to our beloved founder and mentor, Noel Ruiz.
- Email:ellen@cmpac.com
Join the Board of Directors
Are you interested in serving on the CM Performing Arts Center’s Board of Directors? Do you feel a calling to give back to the community around you? Do you have a passion for the arts? Do you possess a skill set that might be beneficial to the Board? While there are a million questions we could ask, if you read our mission statement and it calls to you, we’d love to hear from you. Contact Suzanne Neske at Suzanne@cmpac.com.
Attend a Board Meeting
The Board of Directors holds regular monthly Board meetings. The first 30-minutes of each regular monthly Board meeting are open to any member of the CM community to join public forum. In order to accommodate the Board’s regularly scheduled business, all guests must be registered for meetings at least 48 hours in advance. For the next scheduled Board Meeting date and to register as a guest, please contact Suzanne Neske at Suzanne@cmpac.com.
