Joan Squires, President of Omaha Performing Arts, was named a “Mover and Shaper” for 2017 by Musical America magazine.
Squires is one of only 30 US professionals to receive that honor. She has led Omaha Performing Arts since its startup phase in 2002.
During the last 12 full years of operations, she says OPA has reached over 3.7 million people with its productions.
Additionally, they’ve engaged with over 350,000 young people through their engagement education activities.
Squires says Omaha Performing Arts also has a $40 million annual economic impact on the community which is something people often don’t think about when considering an arts organization.
Squires says she’s proud of the quality of artists and productions OPA has brought to Omaha.
"The best part for me is to stand in the back of the hall and watch the audiences. You know, they may be amazed or moved and celebrate the performances on stage and it’s just incredibly gratifying to see what impact we can have on the community.”
Squires is a voting member for Broadway’s Tony Awards and is active in several professional organizations.
Omaha Performing Arts is the largest arts organization in Nebraska presenting performances in Broadway, jazz, dance and more.