Melissa Vrana
Charlotte,NC
Summary
As a strategic higher education leader, my focus is on driving revenue growth, operational excellence, and delivering exceptional event experiences. With deep expertise in managing multi-venue performance facilities, I excel at cultivating stakeholder relationships and producing high-profile events for academic, community, and national audiences. Known for leading cross-functional teams, optimizing resources, and fostering innovation, I thrive in dynamic, creative, fluid, and fast-paced environments.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Director, Performance Facilities and Events
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, USA
06.2021 - Current
- Direct operations for four premier performance venues (1,000-seat theater, 435-seat theater, 125-seat chamber hall, and black box theater).
- Host 80,000 patrons annually, generating $800K in revenue and over $1M in ticket sales.
- Lead strategic planning for internal and external events, including graduations, festivals, and performances by Opera Carolina, Charlotte Symphony, and national figures such as U.S. Presidents and global leaders.
- Oversee facilities management, vendor coordination, insurance, staffing, security, risk mitigation, and contractual agreements across multiple campuses.
- Direct operations for four premier performance venues (1,000-seat theater, 435-seat theater, 125-seat chamber hall, and black box theater). Website: http://tix.cpcc.edu/
Associate Dean, Central Campus
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, USA
08.2008 - 01.2020
- Coached six direct reports across diverse academic and cultural programs including Visual and Performing Arts, Hospitality Education, Architectural Technology, Simulation Game Development and Central Piedmont Art Galleries.
- Championed experiential learning opportunities connecting students with live-event experiences and connecting students with business and community organizations.
- Cultivated donor relationships and built the reputation of the college as an accessible community destination for visual and performing arts.
- Collaboratively planned and executed a multi-campus festival with large indoor and outdoor components.
- In partnership with marketing services, created an audience building strategy for Central Piedmont Theater and Summer Theater with 25K attendees 300K revenue annually.
Publications Manager
American Institutes of Research
Washington, USA
01.2003 - 01.2005
- Collaborated on ETS field testing, scoring, and NAEP review and production tasks.
- Served as subcontractor for Department of Education Educational Statistical Services Institute for NAEP and PISA K-12 Report Cards.
Education
Master of Arts - U.S. History
University of California
DavisClear Ryan Single Subject Teaching Credential - U.S. History
UC Davis
DavisBachelor of Arts - History
UC Davis
DavisSkills
- Venue operations
- Budget oversight
- Facilities coordination
- Strategic planning
- Audience engagement
- Social media and marketing
- Experiential learning
- Contract negotiation
- Donor cultivation
- Budgeting and financial management
- Team leadership
- Community engagement
- Ticketing and Box Office management
Board Memberships
- Arts & Science Council Cultural Advisory Committee
- McColl Center for Arts & Innovation Advisory Board
- The Arts Empowerment Project Advisory Board
- Blumenthal Arts Education Committee
Impact Areas
people development, leveraging technology, customer experience, winning the customer, revenue generation, contract negotiation, venue management, risk & safety coordination, complex scheduling, storytelling, social media, press, website content management
Leadership Summary
As a strategic higher education leader, my focus is on driving revenue growth, operational excellence, and delivering exceptional event experiences. With deep expertise in managing multi-venue performance facilities, I excel at cultivating stakeholder relationships and producing high-profile events for academic, community, and national audiences. Known for leading cross-functional teams, optimizing resources, and fostering innovation, I thrive in dynamic, creative, fluid, fast-paced environments.
References
Central Piedmont Community College
Vicki Saville, Associate Vice President, Facilities and Construction | Vicki.Saville@cpcc.edu | t. 704-330-6224
Dr. Dena Shonts, Associate Vice President, Student Engagement | Dena.Shonts@cpcc.edu
Arts and Science Council
Micah Deer, Vice President, Community & Artist Support | Micah.Deer@artsandscience.org | mobile 937-725-4801
Timeline
Executive Director, Performance Facilities and Events
Central Piedmont Community College
06.2021 - Current
Associate Dean, Central Campus
Central Piedmont Community College
08.2008 - 01.2020
Publications Manager
American Institutes of Research
01.2003 - 01.2005
Master of Arts - U.S. History
University of California
Clear Ryan Single Subject Teaching Credential - U.S. History
UC Davis
Bachelor of Arts - History
UC Davis