Broadway League Announces Recipients of Inaugural Leadership Awards

On Feb. 21, the Broadway League presented its first Broadway League Leadership Awards as part of the League’s Biennial Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The honors recognize League members for the contributions they made and stewardship they displayed during the industry’s COVID-19 shutdown.

Among the recipients were Jeff Daniel, named Member of the Year; Maggie Brohn, winner of the Distinguished Service Award; Thomas Schumacher, who earned the COVID Leadership Award; and Sue Frost, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Anthony LaTorella, Aaron Lustbader, David Stone, Seth Stuhl and Gina Vernaci, who were recognized with COVID Service Awards.

Daniel is the co-CEO of the John Gore Organization’s Theatre Division, under which he supervises Broadway Across America’s operations, business development, government relations, labor relations and the company’s five theaters. Brohn is the chief operating officer of Adventureland LLC, a Broadway production company, and is the executive producer of Hamilton. Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, oversees development, creation and production of Disney’s stage properties around the world. 

Frost is a founding member of Broadway production company Junkyard Dog Productions. Jennings-Roggensack is road vice-chair for the League; she is the vice president for cultural affairs at Arizona State University (ASU) as well as executive director of ASU Gammage. Latorella serves as the vice president of labor relations for the Nederlander Producing Company of America. Lustbader is a partner and general manager of Foresight Theatrical. Stone is a longtime Broadway producer of such shows as Kimberly Akimbo and Wicked. Stuhl is currently vice president of business affairs and legal counsel for Disney Theatrical Productions. Vernaci recently retired from Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, where she served as president and CEO.

Brohn, Frost, Jennings-Roggensack, LaTorella, Lustbader, Stone and Vernaci are current members of the League’s board of governors. 

The League’s 18th biennial is currently hosting more than 220 League members from over 40 markets. The conference invites the industry’s leadership to share best practices, learn from speakers and plan the League’s future goals.