LEADERSHIP

"Every season, we have the privilege of infusing hundreds of thousands of our visitors with The Bushnell Spirit. The arts can, and often do, enrich the soul, and function as a way for patrons to make positive differences in their own lives and the lives of their communities."

Visionary leadership and strong governance are at the heart of The Bushnell's ability to advance this worthwhile ideal. The Bushnell's Board of Trustees is chaired by Beth Costello and includes a diverse mix of Greater Hartford's corporate, civic, cultural, and educational leaders. The Bushnell's outstanding Board has forged an exemplary partnership with the Center's talented staff, headed by President and Chief Executive Officer, David Fay.

Working together, and fueled by the passion and encouragement of the thousands of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies that generously support us each season, The Bushnell will continue to enrich, illuminate, energize, and delight the community it so proudly serves.

BETH COSTELLO, CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Beth Costello is executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Hartford. As the company’s CFO, Costello is responsible for finance, treasury, capital, accounting and investor relations.
 
Most recently, Costello served as president of The Hartford’s former Talcott Resolution business and managed the company’s reporting segment, which included the former legacy annuity business.
 
Previously, Costello was senior vice president and controller, a position in which she oversaw corporate accounting, accounting policy and Wealth Management finance, and led the company’s finance transformation program.
 
She joined The Hartford in April 2004 and previously served as vice president responsible for the company's compliance with the internal control requirements under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Costello was promoted to vice president and deputy controller in 2005. In 2007 she was promoted to senior vice president and controller.
 
Prior to joining The Hartford, she was a senior manager in Deloitte & Touche LLP's audit practice and a partner at Arthur Andersen LLP.
 
Costello earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Bryant University and was a certified public accountant.
 
Costello serves as the executive sponsor for The Hartford’s Flex-Abilities Network, an employee resource group dedicated to finding ways to advance the philosophy that every person is capable of full productivity in work and life. Active in her local community, she is also on the boards of The Village for Families and Children in Hartford, Conn., The Bushnell performing arts center in Hartford, The Hartford Bishops’ Foundation and the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.

DAVID R. FAY, PRESIDENT AND CEO

David R. Fay took over as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Bushnell in June 2001. He is responsible for the execution of policy, the operation of The Bushnell’s facilities and programs and management of its more than $20 million annual operating activity.

Previously, Fay was President of the Canadian Producing Division of SFX Theatrical Group and Executive Director of the Pantages Theatre in Toronto. Fay also spent 15 years as the President and CEO of Fox Associates in St. Louis, Missouri. Under his leadership, the private partnership grew from a company operating a single theater (Fox Theatre) that was losing money, to a diversified entertainment company with multiple venues in St. Louis (The Fox Theatre and the St. Charles Family Arena) and Chicago (the Briar Street Theatre and The Cadillac Palace Theatre). He also formed Fox Theatricals, which produced shows on and off-Broadway, some of which toured nationally, including Jekyll and Hyde and Death of a Salesman (Tony Award for Best Play, 1999).

From 1980-1985, Fay was executive director of the Will County Exposition and Auditorium Authority in Joliet, Illinois. He directed the renovation of the historic Rialto Square Theatre and led the redevelopment of 150,000 square feet of office and commercial space adjacent to the theater. The project spurred the eventual redevelopment of downtown Joliet.

Fay has also served as Chairman of the Fine Arts Department and Director of the Weinstein Center for the Performing Arts at the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois. Fay has a master’s degree in Theater Arts from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. A resident of Cromwell, Fay is currently on the Board of Corporators of Hartford Hospital.

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