Staff Biographies
Thomas Fowlkes
Executive Director
An experienced non-profit arts manager, Fowlkes will be responsible for leading the ArtsBridge mission of empowering the next generation through the arts. He will lead fundraising, grant writing, and strategic planning for the organization, as well as overseeing the day-to-day operations, donor relations, financial management, program management, marketing and community outreach.
““After an extensive search to fill the position of Executive Director, the ArtsBridge Foundation was so fortunate to find, I believe, the perfect candidate,” said Joanne Truffelman, president of the ArtsBridge Foundation Board of Directors. “Thomas understands our mission and has the credentials to catapult the ArtsBridge brand and exceed our fundraising goals. I am looking forward to seeing him bring in more and more students to the program so that their dreams of being in musical theater become a reality.”
Fowlkes is a veteran of the Atlanta arts community, having previously served as interim managing director and renovation project manager at Theatrical Outfit, general manager and director of production at the Atlanta Ballet, and managing director of Horizon Theatre Company. Most recently, Fowlkes was a consultant in the areas of arts management and the Georgia Film Tax Credit. He earned a bachelor's degree from Rice University and a certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management from the Georgia Center for Nonprofits.
Elizabeth "Beth" Lenhart
Director of Arts Education
Born in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, she trained as a classical soprano under renowned vocal coaches and studied choreography and dance, specializing in ballet, jazz, and tap.
Her U.S. theater credits include leading roles in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, 110 in the Shade, Once Upon a Mattress, Bye Bye Birdie, Dido and Aeneas, and The Pirates of Penzance. In the Dominican Republic, she performed professionally in productions like CATS, Annie, and Hansel & Gretel while also serving as a vocal coach.
She holds degrees from Penn State University and a Master’s in Education from Framingham State University. During her 30-year teaching career in the Dominican Republic, she served as Choral Conductor and Fine Arts Coordinator at Carol Morgan School, Master Franchise Owner and Director of Gymboree Play & Music, and Founder/Director of JAM Academy.
As a producer and director, her National Theatre credits include The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast JR, Oliver, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, Madagascar, Shrek, Hairspray, and FAME. Through JAM CARES, she produced benefit musicals and concerts, including MM The Musical, Elf Jr., and A Night on Broadway, donating proceeds to charitable causes.
Since 2022, she has served as Director of Arts Education for ArtsBridge Foundation and Director of the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, earning Southeast Regional Emmy Awards in 2022 and 2023.
Her greatest passions are teaching and the performing arts, but her two daughters, Gabriella and Megan, remain her deepest source of inspiration.
Jessica Guthrie
Development Coordinator
Jessica is a North Georgia native with a passion for the arts and fundraising! Jessica grew up in Calhoun, GA where she has been an active member of the arts community since elementary school. She was the President of the Belwood Elementary Chorus and a member of the Expressions School of Performing Arts Junior Performance Team. Jessica is an alto and was a member of the Gordon Central music and theatre departments where she participated in One Act plays, Spring Musicals, and Show Choir. During her time in Gordon Central Chorale, her love of travel was born. She participated in traveling to Ireland with the Gordon Central to perform across the country in various shows, churches, and even a wedding! She also traveled to sing during a weeklong celebration for the opening of the World War II monument in Washington DC. Her fondest memory of being involved in theatre is participating in a Broadway workshop where her and her classmates learned the number “Knights of the Round Table” from Spamalot!
After graduating high school, Jessica decided to indulge her passion for traveling and hit the road while completing a BA in History through Southern New Hampshire University. She has visited all 48 contiguous states and has lived in 8 of them! Her travels took her to Midland, Texas where she was the Assistant Director for the George W. Bush Childhood Home. There, she learned the art of grant writing and fundraising in addition to cultivating children’s educational programming. During her time at the Bush Home, she created and implemented many educational activities and programs, including the first ever West Texas Living History Camp that included character actors to bring history to life. Her travels then took her to Rockford, Illinois where she became a STEM Lab educator for the Discovery Center Museum, where she performed science experiments on stage, lead planetarium shows, and stayed overnight for SCOUT camp-ins. In addition to her work at the museum, Jessica became the first manager of the Illinois YouthBuild Coalition, where she managed $2.5 million in funds to help 14 sites across the state of Illinois that are dedicated to expanding employment and career opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged young adults. She was accepted into Johns Hopkins to pursue an MA in Museum Studies, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed her plans. She then found herself working as the Grant Manager for K9s For Warriors, a national nonprofit that pairs Veterans with Service Dogs in Ponte Vedra, Florida, where she managed a portfolio of over 200 donors. During her career, she has raised, managed, and reported for over $10 million in donor funds.
Jessica moved back to Georgia in 2023 after being diagnosed with a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects her collagen production. “I felt like the time was right to be back home with my family and friends. I have made an impact everywhere I have been, it’s time to make an impact at home.” Jessica is a huge fan of cosplay, Star Trek, and enjoys spending time with her two cats, Bowie and Pearl. She is currently completing her MA in Public Administration as she settles into life back here at home.
