THIS THURSDAY'S SPEAKER WILL BE JEFF ALLEN FROM THE MALTZ MUSEUM IN CLEVELAND

Jeffery is the new Director of Education and Public Programs for the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.  Prior to coming to the Maltz, he served as Director for the Center for Lifelong Learning at Ivy Tech-Bloomington, Indiana.  While there, he consistently developed and launched a series of personal enrichment classes in topics ranging from visual arts to history for a wide range of audiences, and developed unique partnerships with community groups to create innovative programs.  These programs met the industry standard of 75% of offerings meeting enrollment.  He is most proud of his leadership role in the creation and implementation of the Arts-Infused preschool program at Fairview, a Title 1 school, where literacy achievement increased 112% in four months vs a control group, and the successful creation of the scholastic theatre program, for which he directed half the productions to critical acclaim. 

 

Jeffery spent 7 years in CT as producing artistic director for Oddfellows Playhouse, a youth theatre with the mission to promote the growth of young people through the performing arts.  While there, he selected a challenging season of plays ranging from cutting edge new works (Anon(ymous)) to epic classics (The Oresteia).  He is most proud of leading the creation and delivery of Arts Explorers, a program designed to provide both jobs training, arts mentorship, and peer mentorship for middle school students categorized as “at risk” in partnership with the Youth Services Bureau.  This program was the only one in its cohort to receive renewed funding.

 

Jeffery is a native Clevelander, and has worked for Cleveland Public Theatre, Great Lakes Theater, and the Cleveland Playhouse.  He received his degree from Baldwin-Wallace, and is thrilled to return to his home town.