CLARKSVILLE, TN – Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts is pleased to announce the appointment of Cameron O’Hanlon as the first Executive Director of the City’s Arts, Culture & Tourism (ACT) Authority.

“We are excited to welcome Cameron and his family to our beautiful city, and in doing so, move forward with expanding the arts in our community and constructing the Performing Arts Center in our historic downtown,” Pitts said.

O’Hanlon will officially begin his duties as Executive Director of the ACT Authority on Monday, May 11, and attend the Authority Board meeting that week.

Who is Cameron O’Hanlon?

Cameron O’Hanlon was born in San Antonio, Texas, and grew up in Northern California. For the past 13 years, he has lived and worked in Los Angeles at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya), where he rose through the organization from an Usher to the General Manager. As General Manager, O’Hanlon shepherded the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing The Soraya through that crisis and building a more sustainable organization than it was before.

As a performer and an artist, O’Hanlon has built community around the arts for more than a decade, producing concerts and events rooted in bringing people together from all walks of life.

Leading the ACT Authority

The ACT Authority has been created as an independent entity and arm of the City, to improve accessibility and create new avenues for the arts in Clarksville. To be led on a daily basis by O’Hanlon, the ACT Authority will heighten engagement of the community to ensure that it produces a positive economic, social, and cultural impact, while benefiting visitors, stakeholders, and locals.

“Cameron comes into this position with the right combination of experience and appetite for building our new performing arts center, and enhancing the arts city-wide. His enthusiasm and energy will be a great asset as we launch the ACT Authority and build on the progress already made by the Board of Directors. I am sure the community at large will find Cameron and his family a welcome addition in the long term,” said Pitts.

An opportunity to build on tradition

“America has a long tradition of great art happening anywhere and everywhere. I think of the Count Basie Orchestra touring High School gymnasiums in the ’60s and ’70s, or Jimmy Hendrix getting his start right here in Clarksville,” O’Hanlon said. “We have an opportunity now to build on that tradition, and make Clarksville a destination for art, performance, and creativity; both tapping into the creative communities we have right here and bringing in the best talent from around the world.”

The ACT Authority currently includes the following volunteer members:

  • Peter Reyman – Chairman
  • James Durrett – Vice Chairman
  • Carol Clark – Secretary
  • Salome Herrera
  • Dwight Jemison
  • Julie Knotts
  • April Consulo