Center for Puppetry Arts Welcomes Three New Board Members

Ryan Dixon, Larry Mark and John Tester join the board of the Center for Puppetry Arts

ATLANTA (November 15, 2021) – The Center for Puppetry Arts is pleased to announce the election of Ryan Dixon (Fifth Third Bank), Larry Mark (The Coca-Cola Company) and John Tester (Acuity Brands) to its Board of Directors.

“We are so excited to welcome friends of the Center to our Board of Directors. John, Larry and Ryan each bring unique business acumen that will further enhance the innovative leadership and counsel we receive from existing Directors. As leaders in their own companies, each will provide valuable counsel to me as we continue to imagine the Center’s future,” said Elizabeth Schiavo, Executive Director.

Ryan Dixon has 13+ years of commercial and corporate banking experience, all with Fifth Third Bank. Starting at headquarters in Cincinnati, Dixon was formally credit trained before moving with the Bank to South Florida to help with the real estate portfolio coming out of the 2008 financial crisis. Dixon moved to Atlanta in 2016 and now supports a portfolio of middle market businesses with their capital needs.

Dixon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a Master’s in Business Administration from Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business. He resides in Dunwoody, GA with his wife Shannon, and their two sons, Jacob and Caleb.

Larry M. Mark is Vice President of Global Finance Operations for The Coca-Cola Company. In this role, Mark provides financial and analytical support to the President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his current role, Mark served as Vice President and Controller for the company. Mark joined the company in 1991 in the audit department.

His career in finance at Coca-Cola includes serving as Deputy Controller; CFO for Coca-Cola North America; CFO for Coca-Cola Europe and Vice President of Finance for North America’s Foodservice and Hospitality Division. He also worked as the company’s Director of Investor Relations. Before joining Coca-Cola, Mark was an Audit Senior Manager with PwC, formerly known as PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Southwest Texas State University, an MBA from Emory University and was previously a Certified Public Accountant.

John Tester is the Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer at Acuity Brands. With over 17 years of experience serving multinational manufacturing companies and clients, Tester has worked with a number of public and private companies, both domestically and internationally, in the Fortune 500 and Forbes Largest Private Companies List. Previously, he served as the CAO of Delta Apparel, Inc. Prior to that, John was a Senior Manager at EY, formerly known as Ernst & Young.

Tester holds a Master of Accountancy degree from UGA’s Terry College of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. John resides in Atlanta, GA with his partner, Joe Brooks.

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Center for Puppetry Arts® is a unique cultural treasure – a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened, and entertained. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops, and the hands-on Museum as well as Digital Learning and Outreach programs. Center for Puppetry Arts is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and is supported in part by contributions from corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals. Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. These programs are also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Center is a member of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA/ASSITEJ).The Center also serves as headquarters of UNIMA-USA, the American branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the international puppetry organization.