Debbie Ellinghaus
Debbie Ellinghaus has worked in the arts and education industry for more than twenty-five years. Managing Director at Olney Theatre Center since August 2014, she has also held positions at the University of Maryland, College of Arts and Humanities; Yale Repertory Theatre/Yale School of Drama; Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre; The Epiphany School; The Guggenheim Museum (New York); and the global sports and entertainment agency, International Management Group (IMG) where she began her career as a Marketing Assistant. Ms. Ellinghaus spent a brief time working as a theatrical performer, after studying with the incomparable trio and master teachers George Morrison, Mike Nichols, and Paul Sills at the New Actors Workshop in New York, NY. At Olney Theatre, she partners with Artistic Director Jason Loewith to lead the staff and execute the mission and vision of the Theatre. She also serves as a liaison to Olney Theatre's Board of Directors, of which she is an ex-officio member. She and Mr. Loe lead a full-time staff of 50 theater workers and employ more than 400 artists each year. Under Mr. Loewith’s artistic leadership and Ms. Ellinghaus’s executive leadership, Olney Theatre has exponentially expanded its profile in the regional theatre industry. Ms. Ellinghaus currently serves on three not-for-profit boards: Merriweather Arts and Culture Center (Board Secretary, past Chair, and founding member); Medstar Montgomery Medical Center; and Kol Nefesh (Board Treasurer). She is a former board member of the Olney Chamber of Commerce and the Philadelphia Regional Arts Consortium. She is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Montgomery and a 2022 graduate of Leadership Howard. In 2018, Ms. Ellinghaus was recognized with the “Emerging Arts Leader Award” from the Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. Ms. Ellinghaus received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a professional certificate from the New Actors Workshop (New York, NY). She has testified before the State Senate, House of Delegates, and Montgomery and Howard County Councils, and has served as a grant panelist for the Maryland State Arts Council. Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Columbia, MD, she resides in Laurel, MD, with her family: husband, Andrew, their two awesome teenagers, Madeline and Griffin; and exceptionally adorable dogs, Charlie and Billie Jean.