Kyle Marrero
Artistic Director

With nearly twenty years of experience in the operatic world, Marrero is quickly becoming an important figure as an impresario and stage director. He holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, where he worked extensively with George Shirley and Martin Katz. He is currently Chair of the Music Department at the University of West Florida, serves as the Artistic Director of Pensacola Opera. Past affiliations have included Production Director for Nevada Opera, Artistic Director of Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for five seasons, and an award winning Associate Professor on the voice faculty at Louisiana State University for eleven years. Always committed to the development of young singers, Dr. Marrero is currently on the staff of Des Moines Metro Opera’s summer festival where he serves as a stage director and coach for the apprentice artist program.

Sherrie Mitchell
Executive Director

Sherrie Mitchell holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and a B.S. in Speech Pathology. Ms. Mitchell has 20 years experience in marketing, fund raising and public relations – eight of those with non-profit organizations. Ms. Mitchell leads the largest growth of Pensacola Opera’s history including doubling the operating budget, increasing individual and corporate contributions, partnerships and ticket sales to opera programs and overseeing the leading educational outreach program in the region. The 2005 mainstage season gleaned record ticket sales with two sell-out performances. Also responsible for major gifts and sponsorships, Ms. Mitchell has significantly increased funding from foundations and corporations. She manages a staff of five and all operations of the opera.

Timothy Kennedy
Director of Education & Community Outreach

Timothy Kennedy, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is now serving as the Director of Education and Community Outreach for Pensacola Opera as well as an adjunct professor for the University of West Florida. His various credits include Stage Director, Music Director, and Performer. His Stage Direction credits include Girl Talk and A Noteworthy Tale for Pensacola Opera Camp, Die Fledermaus for the Teche Theatre, The Three Little Pigs for Pensacola Opera and L’enfant et les sortileges and Little Red Riding Hood for LSU Opera. He has served as music director for productions of Godspell, Goblin Market, and Making It Up As We Go Along.

Athena Bonds
Office Manager

Athena is a native of Pensacola . She raised her son and daughter, (and now her Grandchildren are growing up) in the same community in which she was born and raised.

Before joining Pensacola Opera as the Office Manager, Athena worked for a local CPA firm for five years. Prior to that, she worked in the television industry wearing many different hats over the span of 18 years.

She is happy to be a part of Pensacola Opera and considers it a unique and rewarding opportunity. She also loves writing and photography.

Erin Kelley Sammis
Development & Marketing Coordinator

Erin Kelley Sammis serves as Development and Marketing Coordinator for Pensacola Opera. Erin has been working in the non-profit sector since 2004, most recently with Chicago Opera Theater as the Development Associate. Prior to that, she worked at Girl Scouts of Tulip Trace Council in Bloomington, Indiana as the Annual Giving Specialist. In this time, Erin has accumulated significant experience in individual giving campaigns, special events, volunteer/intern management and database management. She is a national member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is a board member of the local West Florida Chapter.

Before transitioning into arts administration, Erin trained extensively as a singer and pianist. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Furman University in Greenville, SC as well as a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. At Indiana University, Erin was an Associate Instructor of Voice and was seen in several leading operatic roles such as Baby Doe in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Lily in The Secret Garden. Erin also participated with Opera Theatre St. Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist where she covered the role of Micaela in Carmen.

Erin is thrilled to be able to bring her blend of expertise to the Pensacola Opera. She also looks forward to working with a number of motivated individuals who are as passionate about the continuing growth of the opera in Northwest Florida as she is.

Geoffrey Bleeker
Patron Services Manager

Geoffrey comes to Pensacola Opera with a strong background in customer service and arts administration.  He was the Assistant Company and Box Office Manager for West Virginia Public Theatre, where he helped make an eight-show summer season – in a tent – one of their most successful years to date.  Geoffrey comes to the Opera most recently from Regions Bank, where served as a TeleBanking Specialist, assisting customers through a large and fast-paced merger with AmSouth.  A Houston native, Geoffrey graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in the Plan II Honors Program.   He is also an actor and stage director, who has worked with companies and universities in Houston, Austin, Las Cruces, NM, Cincinnati, OH, and Pensacola.