Meet the People that Pull the Strings
The staff is comprised of executives, historians, educators, marketing professionals, stagehands, artists and more, but one thing unites us all — our love of puppets.
Beth Schiavo
Executive Director and Board President
Beth Schiavo brings more than 30 years of leadership experience, blending a successful corporate career with a deep commitment to the nonprofit arts and education sector. Before joining the Center, she was a Partner at EY LLP, served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of North Highland Consulting, and later launched her own consulting practice. She now leverages this expertise to strengthen the sustainability and reach of arts organizations.
Her dedication to community impact extends beyond her work at the Center. Beth is an active philanthropic leader, having held many nonprofit Board leadership positions: Fund Development Chair and Audit Committee Chair on the board of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, member of the Woodruff Arts Center’s Audit Committee, Finance Committee and Chairperson of Young Audiences at the Woodruff Arts Center, and Audit Committee Chair of the Fulton Education Foundation. She currently serves on the Midtown Alliance Board.
Beth was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as a Woman of Excellence in 2021 and one of “50 Influential Atlanta Women You Should Know” in 2021 by Metro Atlanta CEO.
Artistic Director
Jason Hines joined the Center for Puppetry Arts’ as the Resident Puppet Builder in 2002. Since joining the team Jason has designed and built puppets for many Center productions such as; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat, Stellaluna, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Pete the Cat, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Anne Frank: Within and Without, Ruth and the Green Book, Duke Ellington’s Cat, The Little Pirate Mermaid, Cinderella Della Circus, Old MacDonald’s Farm, The Tortoise and the Hare, The Ugly Duckling. Jason is also the co-developer and performer in the Center’s acclaimed productions The Ghastly Dreadfuls and Avanti, Da Vinci! The Secret Adventures of Leonardo da Vinci.
Most recently, Jason wrote, designed, and directed the award-winning show Tesla vs. Edison.
In addition to his work at the Center, Jason has worked on several TV shows and films. He was a puppet captain on the BBC’s puppet TV series Moon and Me. He had the opportunity to be a robot puppeteer in the motion picture Escape Plan 2: Hades. He has designed and built puppets for Alton Brown’s Good Eats Reloaded and Adult Swim.
Around the Atlanta area, Jason recently designed and built puppets for The Atlanta Opera’s production of The Three Penny Opera. Regional theatres: Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre including The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella and Fella, Shrek the Musical, Tuck Everlasting, James and the Giant Peach, and Knuffle Bunny, a Cautionary Tale. Kentucky’s Actors Theater production of Louisville Shipwrecked! Jason directed Clash Titan Clash, Scarlet’s Web and created the Super Villain Monologues in conjunction with Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage Theatre Company. In his spare time Jason is an avid puppet slam performer, is continually exploring 3D Printing and CNC routing, is a collector of movies, CD’s, Vinyl and books, loves soldering and electronics for modular synthesizers and building robots, building and collecting musical instruments. Recently, Jason has started flying lessons and is building an airplane of his own.
Deputy Director
Sarah is a self-described public humanist and creative strategist who has worked heavily in museums, libraries, and arts organizations for nearly 15 years. Her personal mission is to encourage public interaction with the arts and humanities and shed light on lesser-known narratives.
Sarah served as the Curator for an exhibition about the history and impact of the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the Atlanta History Center.
Prior to moving to Atlanta, Sarah held positions in the special collections libraries at Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, the Savannah Music Festival, and Virgin Islands National Park.
Sarah holds degrees from the University of Virginia (B.A., Art and Art History) and Brown University (M.A., Public Humanities).
Chief Marketing Officer
Shelley Hoffmann brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, media, and audience engagement to the Center. Throughout her career, she has held leadership positions with prominent organizations, including ABC, Food Network, Healthgrades, PBS, WebMD, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Her extensive nonprofit work includes serving as President of Women in Cable Telecommunications and as an advisor to the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.
Shelley is a three-time Emmy Award nominee and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing, from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She also earned a certification in Museum Administration and Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University.
A longtime supporter of the Center, Shelley has served as a docent, volunteer, and Marketing Chair on the Board of Directors.
Chief Financial Officer
Prior to joining the Center in 2012, Alyssa James worked at the Georgia Divisional Headquarters of The Salvation Army. Alyssa holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Georgia, and an MBA from Georgia State University. She also currently serves as board treasurer for Neighbors of Gresham Park and McNair Discovery Learning Academy PTA.
Raised in metro Atlanta, Alyssa went on field trips to the Center for Puppetry Arts as a child – and is grateful to be a part of the organization today, as it continues to share the joy of puppetry with new generations!
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