Local retiree and diversity advocate Myraline Morris Whitaker recently accepted a seat on the board of directors for the San Luis Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre.
The former CEO of Martin Resorts has joined the board at an “opportune moment in SLO Rep’s history,” according to SLO Rep, as the company continues to complete its capital campaign to build a new theater venue. SLO Rep has raised more than 75 percent of its $15.3 million goal so far.
“I’m looking forward to helping SLO Rep complete its new venue and realize its vision to become a nationally recognized regional theater,” Whitaker said in the release. “SLO Rep’s plans will have an enormously positive impact on the region, both economically and culturally, for residents and visitors alike.”
Whitaker added that if the local theater group’s “last 10 years are any indication, this vision is definitely achievable.”
“Over the past decade, SLO Rep has steadily and impressively improved the caliber of its productions,” Whitaker said. “In turn, audiences and ticket sales have steadily increased, and the operating budget has more than doubled.”
Whitaker is currently a member of the Diversity Coalition SLO County, the Cal Poly Black Faculty and Staff Association, and the NAACP. In 2008, Whitaker founded the Sister Soldier Project, an initiative that benefited thousands of Black women in the U.S. military by sending packages of Black hair care products overseas.
In 2019, the South County Chambers of Commerce honored Whitaker as Pismo Beach’s Citizen of the Year. During her multi-decade career in the hospitality industry, Whitaker worked in marketing roles at several hotels in Los Angeles and San Diego before moving to the Central Coast in 2005 to take on the role of CEO of Martin Resorts, in which she oversaw operations at four hotels and two restaurants.
“Myraline’s extensive marketing and operations experience in the hospitality industry will add a great deal of knowledge to SLO Rep’s operations as we strive to deliver a distinctive, high-quality experience to theatergoers,” SLO Rep board President Pam Nichter said in a statement. Δ
This article appears in Jul 6-16, 2023.
