USO Announces New Leadership for New Era of Entertainment
ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - March 13, 2017) - The USO's iconic tradition of bringing entertainment to service members around the globe is being optimized with new leadership.
Starting in April, longtime nonprofit entertainment representative Lorie Hennessey will join the USO as its Senior Vice President of Entertainment. Hennessey will lead a newly-configured entertainment team and manage all USO entertainment activities to deliver best-in-class celebrity engagement and USO tours to service members and their families.
Hennessey will be supported by two vice presidents -- newly-named USO Vice President of Entertainment Partnerships Mimi DiTrani and long-time USO Vice President of Entertainment Operations Rachel Tischler.
"With Lorie and Mimi joining the team, the USO will be well-positioned to deliver best-in-class entertainment to America's service members stationed around the world," said USO CEO and President J.D. Crouch II. "Lorie has a strong track record of success from nearly 20 years as a nonprofit representative to the entertainment and sports industries, and Mimi is a stand-out representative of the entertainment community."
Hennessey joins the USO after 17 years at Make-A-Wish America, where she built the organization's celebrity and national sports operation into a highly successful program that creates more than 1,000 engagements for wish kids each year, in addition to creating celebrity-centered, brand and fundraising campaigns.
"The USO and entertainment have been linked since its inception, and I am incredibly honored to lead this ongoing tradition in support of service members and their families," Hennessey said. "Additionally, the opportunity to build a best-in-class celebrity engagement program that serves multiple facets of the USO will be our driving force in creating positive and impactful partnerships with the entertainment communities."
DiTrani comes to the USO from her independent entertainment consulting business. A graduate of Northwestern University's theater program, she has a 15-year history of working directly in talent management, starting in Los Angeles at Creative Artists Agency, and including service at management companies Untitled Entertainment and MGMT Entertainment.
The addition of these team members marks a new era for USO Entertainment while paying homage to its historic beginnings. Ever since Bob Hope put on his first camp show on May 6, 1941, the USO has been synonymous with celebrities bringing America's thanks and gratitude to service members through performance, meet and greets and more.
The USO remains dedicated to its mission of strengthening military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. Its entertainment programming has long served as an inspiring means to bring America's collective support, gratitude and goodwill to service members through the presence of entertainers thanking them as they serve around the world.
About the USO:
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: AT&T, Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, NFL, Southern New Hampshire University and Four-Star Partners: Altria, BIC, ConAgra Foods, GEICO, Harris Teeter, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, TKS, USAA and the Wawa Foundation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
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