Collegiate Pursuits Management Board - North Texas Performing Arts

The NTPA Collegiate Pursuits Management Board provides advise, counsel and support for ongoing NTPA Collegiate Pursuits operations. Meet our current board members below!

Jenn WadeChairperson

Jennifer first learned about NTPA when her daughter, Zoie, discovered acting at a Plano Children’s Theatre camp in 2012. Through her work with Frisco Arts, she learned more about the work NTPA does throughout the community and started volunteering with NTPA in 2018. When she volunteered for the “test show” for Collegiate Pursuits, she recognized how amazing the program is for young artists and was so glad Zoie found a program that would grow with her. She is thankful every day for the guidance Collegiate Pursuits provided while Zoie was navigating the BFA process.

Professionally, Jennifer is an attorney with the law firm Troutman Pepper Locke but spends as much time as possible supporting the arts. As a clarinet player in high school, her favorite memories are from playing in the pit for the all-school musicals. In law school, she had a lead role in a professor’s original musical Anti-Kids And Fun, which poked fun at the practice of law in big law firms.

Jennifer looks forward to working with the Collegiate Pursuits team to prepare the dedicated teenagers for their college days and beyond.

Sheri HaygoodSecretary

Sheri grew up at Southwest Airlines, retiring as a flight attendant after 29 years of service. While raising her 2 girls she has served on PTA boards & booster clubs, volunteering as everything from hospitality chair and yearbook designer, to Theatre booster club President and Vice President. NTPA became a part of her life when her oldest daughter Sydney did her first show in the Summer of 2022.
Sheri resides in Grapevine with her husband Ryan, daughter Olivia & their Boston Terrier Dude. Her daughter Sydney is currently in college in Chicago pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre with a dance concentration.

Max Fetter

Max has been involved with NTPA Collegiate Pursuits since it’s inception in 2021. While currently at SMU pursuing a B.F.A. in Film & Media Arts, Max still finds time to work on Collegiate Pursuits productions and help with technical needs around the greater NTPA organization. In addition to NTPA, Max has worked on countless productions around the DFW area. He is also the Founder and CEO of Parkchester Entertainment Group which is his base for his future endeavors.

Leslie Jennings

Michelle Matthews

Dr. Teddi Martin

Dr. Teddi Martin grew up in a family immersed in the performing arts. Her journey with NTPA began when her daughter Rachel became involved as a middle school actor. When Rachel joined the Collegiate Pursuits program in high school, Teddi discovered her own passion for show management and dramaturgy–two roles she continues to fulfill even after Rachel has moved on to pursue her BFA at Texas State University. Teddi’s dramaturgical contributions help both the creative team and actors deepen their understanding of the stories they bring to life—an endeavor that allows her to indulge in her love of research, analysis, and storytelling.
Beyond the walls of the theatre, Teddi is an experienced educator, with a professional background spanning K–12 and higher education. She has served on both national and state-level educational committees, advocating for responsive and innovative learning opportunities for teachers and students alike.
In her free time, Teddi loves a road trip to small towns, scoping out independent bookstores and other gems, and enjoying local coffee shops..

Amber Nolan

Amber Nolan is honored to service on the Collegiate Pursuits Board as a founding member. She has been involved with NTPA since her daughter Zoe Nolans first play in Mckinney in 2014. She has served on the board of Fairview and loved her time there. Zoe gained so much confidence and grew so much as an actor in the Collegiate Pursuits program. I am honored to be able to give back to an organization that has given so much to me and my family.

Karey Rees

Karey Rees is a longtime Flower Mound resident and proud mom of two daughters. She joined the board in Fall 2025 following her youngest daughter Kenzie’s graduation from NTPA Academy/Collegiate Pursuits program. Karey studied Psychology and Music Therapy at Western Illinois University and has maintained a lifelong passion for the arts. She has served on several nonprofit and school boards, including NTWO for Cystic Fibrosis, choir, and theatre organizations. In her free time, Karey enjoys sewing, crafting, and spending time with her family.

Tim Rees

Tim Rees joined the board of North Texas Performing Arts – Collegiate Pursuits in 2025, inspired by the profound impact the organization had on his daughter, Kenzie, who is pursuing her dream as a BFA-Acting major at Wright State University.

A former middle school band director, Tim has long believed in the transformative power of fine arts in shaping the confidence, discipline, and creativity of young people. His career path later led him into the Technology Channel, where he is now a Managing Partner of a national consulting firm. In this role, he guides businesses through the rapidly evolving world of IT solutions and telecommunications, conducting needs assessments, sourcing the right providers, and managing vendor relationships to ensure seamless and cost-effective outcomes.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Tim actively serves the arts community. He is a member of the Performing Arts Fort Worth (Bass Hall) Board, where he contributes on both the Finance and Audit Committee and the Education and Engagement Committee. His ongoing involvement reflects his belief that access to the arts should be nurtured and expanded for future generations.

Julie Smithey

Chance Sassano

Chance Sassano joined the NTPA Collegiate Pursuits board to support the wonderful team who made a difference in his family’s life as mentors to his daughter, Ellie. She is currently at Wright State University pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre with a Dance Minor. The love and encouragement they showed Ellie extends to every student they mentor as those students seek further artistic pursuits at the collegiate level. Their tireless efforts inspired him to become part of this wonderful organization.

As the founder of AuthenTech AI, Chance focuses on identifying AI solutions to improve the patient experience for healthcare contact centers. As a technology consultant specializing in strategic planning and IT expense management, he likes to spend way too much time with his head in spreadsheets. This wonderful organization reminds him to stop, look up, and appreciate how art makes the world a better place.

Lisa Thompson

Cece Weaver