THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2026
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre announces two exciting staff promotions while offering congratulations and a gratitude-filled farewell to two outstanding staff members.
We’re thrilled to share that Katie Ouding has been promoted to Front of House Manager and Kit Schwartz has been promoted to Audience Experience Manager.
After five years of service to Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Max Luke (former Manager of Front of House Operations) and Jess Burke (former Director of Audience Experience) have moved on to exciting career opportunities outside of the organization. You’ll still see Max as a part-time Customer Service Associate and House Manager, and Jess will be a frequent audience member here at Civic.
While their departure is bittersweet, we’re grateful that Max and Jess made such an impact on Civic since re-opening our doors in 2021 after the pandemic shut-down, and trained Katie and Kit so beautifully to leave the Audience Experience Department in capable, passionate, and caring hands.
Right: The Audience Experience Team at the Season 100 Announcement Party on March 1, 2026. From L-R: Jess Burke, Max Luke, Katie Ouding, and Kit Schwartz.
Kit had this to share about their experiences serving our patrons, working in Audience Experience, and their future role:
“As a Customer Service Associate, I have appreciated our team’s ongoing dedication to supporting this theatre community and providing a wonderful patron experience. I can earnestly say that dedication, with all its faces, comes from a place of love. Countless times, I have witnessed Jess and Max give their attention and energy to encourage fellow team members, volunteers and visitors alike, showing compassion and treating us all with thoughtfulness and dignity. I am so proud of our team for continuously working to make this theatre a better place, in so many thoughtful, practical and creative ways. I am thrilled to be partnering with Katie in this new chapter of our time here at the Civic, and I have no doubt that even when facing challenges, the confidence Jess and Max instilled in us is something we can lean back on in the coming days, and the joy we all shared will propel us forward in our endeavors. As Audience Experience Manager, I am excited to grow with the Civic community and build upon my friends and colleagues’ legacy of making the arts more obtainable, captivating, and memorable for all by investing my time in research, advocating for utilization of patron feedback, connecting with community partners for accessibility programs, and implementing practices that will help Civic shine into our next century.”
Katie shared her appreciation for learning from Jess and Max’s leadership, and what she’s most excited about in her future role:
“Our little office is a place full of joy, compassion, acceptance, and an eagerness to serve! Whether you are attending a show to spend quality time with friends and family, to escape the drudges of everyday life, to hit pause on the stress of a trying time or for the pure love of the art – I want to make sure that your experience at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is an absolute delight, from start to finish! Jess and Max’s leadership in the box office has created an incredibly welcoming atmosphere, not only for those who work in it, but for our patrons and fellow staff members; they have taught us well and I feel confident our patrons will hardly notice the change in staffing as we have been so thoroughly prepared to take over. However, one of my favorite parts of the year will now be fully my responsibility: School Show Performances! There is never more enthusiasm in the building than when we fill the house with over 700 students! I love being a part of what may be their first theatre experience, and I love seeing the cast light up the stage as they feed off of all that energy!”
Please join us in congratulating Kit and Katie when you see them at the Box Office or when you come to a show during the Centennial Season!