Playhouse Square Board Chair Brent Ballard and President & CEO Craig Hassall today announced changes to the not-for-profit organization’s executive team with the addition of two new leaders and the retirement of three long-serving executives.
Laura Smith has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, succeeding Patricia Gaul, who will retire on December 31, 2024, after a distinguished 40-year career during which she has utilized her outstanding legal and financial acumen to steward Playhouse Square’s growth and success.
Nathan Kelly will the join the organization full-time as President of Real Estate Services in early 2025, following the retirement of Senior Advisor Art Falco, who will also retire at the end of the year after 39 years of service. Falco announced his initial retirement as President & CEO in 2019 but continued to play a vital advisory role, particularly through the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Vice President of Facilities & Capital Tom Einhouse also will retire from Playhouse Square on December 31, 2024, after 44 years with the organization. Tom oversaw many of Playhouse Square’s construction projects and theater restorations, becoming a nationally recognized expert in historic preservation and restoration. His decision to retire, along with the retirements of Gaul and Falco, marks a significant transition for the organization.
“We knew this time would come and have been planning for it beginning well before Art announced his retirement as President & CEO in 2019,” said Ballard. “With the pandemic significantly altering the timelines for Patty and Art, the Board and I are deeply grateful for their continued service and wise stewardship through the closure and reopening of theaters, and then working with Craig as he stepped into the role of President & CEO, which he has done so successfully. Craig has developed an exciting vision and is building upon Playhouse Square’s strong relationships in the community and industry to continue forward momentum. Laura and Nate are exceptional leaders well-suited to guide the organization, with Craig, into its next era.”
Hassall added, “Art, Patty and Tom have been incredible to work with; their dedication to the success of Playhouse Square and the City of Cleveland is truly inspiring. There are no words adequate to express the full extent of our gratitude, but on behalf of everyone at Playhouse Square, I say a heartfelt thank you and wish them the best.”
“Laura and Nate bring immense knowledge and experience to Playhouse Square,” Hassall continued. “Laura is skilled in organizational strategy, operational oversight, and project management; Nate is well-versed in real estate management and redevelopment. I am thrilled to welcome them to the Playhouse Square leadership team and look forward to the work we will do together with our outstanding staff.”
About Laura Smith
Prior to joining Playhouse Square, Laura Smith worked for the Foundation For The Carolinas (FFTC), Charlotte, NC from 2011 to 2023. In her final year at FFTC, she served as the agency’s Interim CEO and President. In her former roles as EVP and COO, she oversaw FFTC’s Marketing & Communications, Finance & Operations, Events, Real Estate, and Philanthropic Advancement divisions. Additionally, she had oversight of the Carolina Theatre development. This ongoing project includes the restoration of Charlotte’s 1927 Carolina Theatre, expanded office space for FFTC and a partnership with Salter Brothers for an InterContinental Hotel atop the theater.
From 2000-2011 Smith owned and managed the project management firm Smith + Harbrecht, a consulting firm specializing in the planning and execution of large-scale, community-based initiatives including the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Before launching Smith + Harbrecht, she worked for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council as its Chief Operating Officer. While at ASC, Smith managed the agency’s annual and endowment campaign efforts, strategic planning, nominating, public art, HR and finance areas. She designed and implemented the agency’s first endowment campaign, raising nearly $27 million.
Laura has been recognized as Charlotte’s Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She received the Women in Business Achievement Award, is a recipient of the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award and was recognized as one of the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2020 Newsmakers for her work to help Charlotte during the pandemic. In addition, she has been inducted into the Davidson College Athletics Hall of Fame.
She earned a B.A. in History from Davidson College, an MBA from the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte and a Certificate of Project Management from Georgetown University. She currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the McColl Center and on the Board of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
About Nathan Kelly
Before joining Playhouse Square, Nathan Kelly served as President and Managing Director of Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate, where he doubled the company’s size and led sustained annual growth of more than 15%. His strategic leadership expanded services to Cleveland’s leading institutions, fostering a legacy of successful real estate solutions. Under his direction, CRESCO built a stellar reputation for its work with non-profit, public, and higher education clients. Though transitioning into his role at Playhouse Square, Nathan remains a collaborative partner with Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO, continuing to serve clients in these sectors.
Nathan’s background in senior public-sector positions, including economic development and city planning, sharpened his expertise in guiding more than $1 billion in transformative public-private transactions. His passion for historic preservation and redevelopment is evident in his work and his unwavering advocacy for Greater Cleveland as a vibrant place to live and work.
A graduate of DePaul University with additional studies in Public Policy at Georgetown, Nathan holds an Ohio real estate broker’s license.
About Patricia Gaul
Patricia Gaul has been key to Playhouse Square’s expansion into real estate by utilizing historic tax credits to enhance the value of the surrounding properties and dealing with complicated real estate law affecting responsibility for more than one million square feet of commercial real estate. Her expertise and knowledge have been critical to the development of Playhouse Square business model, which is unique in the country and in the performing arts industry.
She has maintained a balanced budget for the organization for more than 30 years, making Playhouse Square one of the few performing arts centers in the country to consistently remain in the black. She has managed the finances for many projects that have changed the face of Playhouse Square and the surrounding district including theater renovations, the Idea Center, the Crowne Plaza Playhouse Square Hotel, and The Lumen apartment tower.
Patricia joined Playhouse Square in 1984 following work in the United States Senate offices of Senators Edward Kennedy and Bill Bradley. She is a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1993 J.D.) and Georgetown University (1980, B.S.B.A., Accounting). An attorney and member of the Cleveland Bar Association and The Ohio State Bar Association, she is a C.P.A. and member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA), as well as a member of CFO Arts, an industry group from the disciplines of ballet, orchestra, opera, and museums and entertainment centers.
She serves as Treasurer of the Georgetown Alumni Club of Cleveland and serves on the Audit and Finance Committees for the Downtown Cleveland, Inc. Patricia also is a board member of the Irish Good Fellowship Club, and Willowood Manor, a senior living community in Fairview Park; a Leadership Cleveland alumna, Class of 2012; and a Life Member of the Ohio Eighth Judicial District Conference.
Patricia was named Crain’s Cleveland Business 2008 CFO of the Year for Nonprofits: Philanthropy/Arts & Culture and Crain’s Cleveland Business 2014 General and In House Counsel of the Year for Nonprofits. CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Cleveland presented her with their 2021 Economic and Community Improvement Award.
About Tom Einhouse
In 1980, when Tom Einhouse began his career at Playhouse Square, his initial efforts were concentrated on the restoration of Playhouse Square’s five historic theaters—the world’s largest theater restoration project. In the early ‘90s, the Cleveland Theater District Development Corporation, now the Playhouse Square District Development Corporation (PDDC), was formed and became the first Business Improvement District (BID) in Cleveland. Tom serves as the Executive Vice President of the PDDC, which is now folded into the downtown-wide BID. He also is involved in the redevelopment of Playhouse Square’s commercial real estate portfolio.
His projects include the Allen Theatre complex, Idea Center, Hanna Theatre, E.14th St. streetscape, redevelopment of the 1305 and 1317 Euclid buildings and Middough Building, the development of the Playhouse Square Chandelier, gateways and other streetscape amenities, and the Mimi Ohio Lobby Restoration.
Tom is an Honorary Life Trustee of the Cleveland Restoration Society, Trustee of the Foundry, and past board chair of the Downtown Cleveland Improvement Corporation. In addition, he is the past board president of both the Cleveland Restoration Society and League of Historic American Theatres. He has served full terms on the Lakewood Board of Zoning Appeals as well as the Lakewood Planning Commission, where he concluded both terms as chair, and two terms on the Lakewood Board of Education. In addition, he is a licensed Ohio real estate salesperson.
About Art Falco
Art J. Falco joined Playhouse Square as a Finance Director in 1985, and six years later (1991) was appointed by the Playhouse Square Board of Trustees to become the President and CEO. He retired from the role in 2019 but has continued to serve the organization as a Senior Advisor.
During his tenure, Playhouse Square grew from five performance spaces to 10 and became a model for other arts organizations. His stewardship resulted in a balanced budget for each year of his leadership, and he oversaw the formation of downtown Cleveland’s first Business Improvement District and Playhouse Square’s Real Estate Services division and Education Department.
Art led Playhouse Square through transformative projects including Playhouse Square Plaza, the Crowne Plaza Playhouse Square Hotel, the Idea Center, the Allen Theatre Complex, the Dazzle the District neighborhood transformation, and The Lumen apartment tower.
As Playhouse Square President and CEO, Art accepted numerous awards, both for his personal achievements and on behalf of Playhouse Square, including the Richard H. Adler Community Leadership Award - American Jewish Committee, Cleveland Arts Prize (Special Prize: Idea Center), Cleveland Convention & Visitor’s Bureau Impact Award, Cleveland Restoration Society’s Preservation Award, Cleveland State University President’s Medal, Diversity Center Humanitarian Award, Governor’s Award - Ohio Arts Council, Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts – Cleveland State University, Leadership in Non-profit Management Award - Mandel Center, Medical Mutual Pillar Program’s Executive Director of the Year Award (co-recipient), The Ruth Ratner Miller Award – Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame’s Anthem Impact Award, and the Homer C. Wadsworth Award - The Cleveland Foundation.