DAVID B. BYRD (Chief Operations Officer) [he/him] was named Arrowmont’s Chief Operations Officer in fall of 2024. David previously held leadership positions at Yale Repertory Theater, Virginia Stage Company, and Westport Country Playhouse, among others. With a career in the professional non-profit sector spanning over 20 years, he most recently served as the Managing Director of two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT. No stranger to East Tennessee, David led Clarence Brown Theatre at UT-Knoxville from 2013-2017, where he also guided students as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Theatre. While in Knoxville, David also served on the McClung Museum Academic Advisory Committee and the Great Schools Partnership Advisory Council, in addition to being a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the United Way, among others. A passion for placemaking, thoughtful community engagement, arts advocacy and coalition-building have made him a sought-after collaborator. His firm belief in inclusion, diversity, equity and access is steadfast, with appointments to anti-racism working groups and other related posts in academia and the non-profit sector. He is also proud of his collaborations with fellow business leaders and municipalities on the East Haddam Swing Bridge Taskforce and the Middlesex County/RiverCOG Regional Economic Development Committee. David enjoys connecting with his alma mater by serving as a mentor in the Yale Cross Campus Mentorship Program.David’s commitment to education in the arts runs deep. He has guest lectured at Greensboro College, UNC-Greensboro, Virginia Wesleyan University, Christopher Newport University, Skidmore College and Texas Tech, among others. He received an MFA degree from Yale University School of Drama and a BA degree from UNC-Greensboro in his native North Carolina. David and his husband Jeff enjoy walking their rescued pup Oliver through the gorgeous East Tennessee woods.David has guest lectured at Greensboro College, UNC-Greensboro, Virginia Wesleyan University, Christopher Newport University, Skidmore College and Texas Tech, among others. He received an MFA degree in Theater Management from Yale University School of Drama and a BA degree in Drama from UNC-Greensboro in his native North Carolina. David and his husband Jeff reside in Portland, CT and enjoy hiking throughout the gorgeous CT woods when not taking in a live performance.