On July 1, for the first time in seven years, The Studios of Key West welcomed a new Board President. Janet Hinkle takes the reins from Rosi Ware, who’s led the organization with spectacular success for the past seven years. Ware will stay on the Board, and its Executive Committee, as “Immediate Past President,” serving at Hinkle’s side and continuing to lend her prodigious energy and experience to the organization.

Hinkle has served as Vice Chair of The Studios for the past year, and represents a vanguard of new leadership at the nine year old organization. She also serves as a member of the HARC commission, and was previously active on the Board at FIRM (Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe). “The first Board I actually chaired was a community Shakespeare festival in Tallahassee.” says Hinkle. “Ever since then I’ve been absolutely passionate about what art can do for a community.” Matching business savvy and her own down to earth style, Hinkle also keeps herself busy as owner of Lion’s Paw Life Charter, offering cruises aboard her 44ft Catalina Morgan sailboat.

For the next year, Ware and Hinkle plan to work closely together. “Between Janet and [Executive Director] Jed Dodds, I’m quite proud of the leadership team we’ve got in place right now,” says Ware, “but I’ll be glad to help see a few more things wrapped up this year before I go.” Chief among them are the grand opening of The Studios’ new home in January, and adding a rooftop terrace with stunning views that’s slated to open for the 2016-17 season.

For many, the idea of The Studios and its effervescent Board Chair, with her signature spiky platinum hair biking around the island, will be hard to separate. Under Ware’s leadership, The Studios has emerged as a pillar of the Key West arts community and just opened a $5.6 million art center at the corner of Eaton and Simonton Streets. Before moving to Key West, Ware was the CEO of the world’s largest marketing firm, Kantar Communications. These days, when she’s not helping The Studios, she’s often found chaperoning her family of MARC clients – adults with mental disabilities – or elbow deep in topsoil at the Garden Club, where she is also a past President.

The Studios of Key West’s newly elected Executive Committee also includes Secretary Mary Jean Connors, Former Senior Vice President – Knight Ridder Inc.; Treasurer Tom Swain, retired CPA and CFO of Public Company in Boston; and Roger Heinen, a Director of Monotype, the leading supplier of digital fonts and typefaces.

Comprised of seventeen community members, The Studios’ Board of Directors also includes Lucy Barker, Bill Brown, George Cooper, William R. Grose, John B. Hammond, Helen Harrison, Ashley Kamen, Stephen Kistakos, Maxine Lopez-Keough, Bonnie Piceu, Anne Sunkel, and Paula Tishok.

For events, classes and exhibitions please visit tskw.org.