Our Team
Yvonne A.K. Johnson (Executive Artistic Director) is the founder and leader of the award-winning Spokane Valley Summer Theatre and future Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center producing musical theatre and an educationally focused Conservatory program for students grades 2-12. Her talent and professional management base extends from artists performing on Broadway, the West End and regionally across the country. Johnson holds several advanced theatre degrees including a B.A. at Carthage College in Speech, Communications and Theatre, an M.A. in Contemporary Theatre Practice from the University of Essex in Colchester, England and an M.F.A. in Directing from Minnesota State University. From 1996 until 2001, Johnson served as the Artistic Director of Kassiopia Theatre Company in London, England. She then became Company Director and Producer of the national award-winning CLIMB Theatre, Inc. in Minnesota’s Twin Cities followed by Executive Artistic Director for the national award-winning Spokane Civic Theatre. While residing in New York during the initial formative years of SVST, her independent work in board development, strategic planning and talent management had her traveling coast to coast working with various artists and institutions. Over the past 30 years, she has produced and directed over 250 productions for various schools, universities, community and professional theatres throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. Johnson has continually been an advocate for Theatre in Education throughout her career, previously founding two Academy programs for youth grades K–12 at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin and establishing the Spokane Civic Theatre Academy in Spokane, Washington in addition to SVST/SVPAC’s Conservatory. Johnson has received numerous accolades and recognitions for directing and producing throughout her tenure. Most recently she received a 2022 Governor’s Arts and Heritage Award in Leadership, a 2022 Women in Business Leadership Award, a 2021 Difference Maker Award and the 2021 Governor’s Arts & Luminary Award for SVST. As an Executive Artistic Director, Johnson has a proven track record of producing high quality artistic productions with record breaking financial success. She has led several capital campaigns throughout her career with the culmination being a beacon of light and hope for the region, Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center. Shine on Team SVST/ICSVPAC!
11/11/21: Alumna Yvonne Johnson ’92 leads plans to build Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center
Anne M. “Marnie” Rorholm (Managing Director) is a Gonzaga University MBA PhD (School of Leadership Studies, 2021), obtaining her undergraduate business degree at Santa Clara University. She is the inaugural winner of the Eva Lassman Memorial Grant for her Holocaust research, and serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Hate Studies. Dr. Rorholm is a published author and 2020 Greenleaf Scholar, researching the intersection of servant-leadership and her dissertation topic, interruptive symbology. Dr. Rorholm has worked in higher education and in municipal government, where she served in Business and Developer Services, and as the Director of the Mayor’s Office for the City of Spokane. She has been a long-time supporter of the performing arts in the Northwest region, including as a SAG-eligible actress herself, represented by Ryan Artists Inc. in Portland, Oregon and the Harris Talent Agency in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a military spouse and mother to two adult sons (also performers!). She looks forward to connecting the government and local business communities to the professional arts community, to create a vibrant live-theatre scene that contributes significantly to tourism and the local economy.
Susanna Baylon (Media Coordinator) is an Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist with nearly twenty years of experience anchoring, reporting and producing in television markets including Spokane, the Tampa Bay area of Florida, Missouri and Illinois. She stepped away from broadcasting in 2005 to focus her time on raising her daughter. Susanna has also worked as an adjunct professor at Whitworth University, event planned for Bozzi Media, and hosted a weekly local radio commentary “The Anchor”. She now does media consulting for several businesses. Susanna obtained her B.A. in Speech Communications from Kent State University, and holds an M.S. In Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University. She's called Spokane home since 2000 and enjoys being involved in the community emceeing and supporting various charitable events. Susanna is a 2001 graduate of Leadership Spokane. She and her husband Dean have been involved with Spokane Valley Summer Theatre since its inaugural season in 2016, thanks to their daughter Noelle Fries, who is no stranger to local theater audiences. Susanna has participated in performing arts since she was a child and is thrilled about her role with the Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center as she helps to shine the spotlight on how the ICSVPAC is going to impact our region for generations to come!
Georgia Oxford (Capital Campaign Manager) is a Spokane Valley resident who is passionate about getting to know people and helping to make connections within the community. She most recently worked for the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Membership and Events. Georgia has also worked as an Operations Manager for a chain of independent pharmacies, the State of Delaware, and she is a Navy Veteran. She served and deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom where she earned a Navy Achievement Medal. She volunteers on several committees in Spokane assisting with business development and events focused on helping underprivileged children. Georgia has traveled the world and understands the importance of building a strong community with opportunities and resources. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and being outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing, and gardening. Georgia looks forward to assisting to bring the ICSVPAC to Spokane Valley. She believes this project will have an economic impact on the community and the businesses across the region. The Performing Arts Center will leave a legacy for future generations to come.