The Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center (PAC) celebrated 25 years of entertainment with the 2018-19 season, and 90-year-old volunteer Phyllis Wakley has been a part of its history since day one. This summer, she will retire.
“Phyllis has been part of the DNA of the PAC since the building opened,” said Adele Adkins, executive director of the Performing Arts Center. “We will miss her humor and wish her much happiness.”
Wakley said she was encouraged by a friend to join the PAC as a volunteer when the venue opened. “Because I was a retired nurse, someone thought it would be good to have a nurse as a floor manager,” she said. “I got involved early on, notifying the volunteers of their schedules.”
Adkins said within the volunteer staff, the PAC has 13 floor managers. “These dedicated individuals work the events and monitor all sections of the auditoriums. They are the first line of problem solving during an event,” she said. “We couldn’t do what we do without them.”
Wakley said volunteering also broadened her vision of the arts. She is a fan of symphony music, but also enjoyed the children's shows. It’s the people she worked with she will miss the most: “It has been a wonderful way to enjoy seeing and talking to friends.”
Dr. Jo Alice Blondin said the PAC won’t be the same without Wakley. “Phyllis is passionate about serving our patrons and that focus will be difficult to replace,” she said.