The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce embraces Diversity, Equality and Inclusion which are essential. They are a core principle and strategy for us which allows us to be more innovative which makes Palm Beach a more successful, open and welcoming community.

 

Douglas C. Evans has served in numerous national and international positions including President of the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook, Founding President of Classical South Florida, 89.7FM, 90.7FM, 101.9FM in the Palm Beaches and 88.7FM in Naples, Marco Island and Ft. Myers, Chief Operating Officer of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment and President of Broadway China Ventures, a division of the Nederlander Organization charged with opening offices in Beijing and Shanghai.

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He is a founder of Goehring Evans Productions, LLC launching the national tour of “Raisin Cane” starring Jasmine Guy and the Off Broadway blockbuster production of “Frankenstein” starring Hunter Foster, Christianne Noll and Steve Blanchard. Current theatrical projects include the award winning “Spring at the Willowbrook Inn” and “Wallenberg, The Musical”. Evans has worked with a galaxy of stars including Nell Carter, Ann Miller, Juliet Prowse, John Raitt, Shirley MacLaine, Carol Lawrence and Paula Zahn to name just a few and produced national tours of “The Who’s Tommy”, “Chess” and “COMPANY”.

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Evans career also includes The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut, where he served as its Chief Executive Officer. Since Evans joined The Bushnell in 1990, the organization grew both in its programming capacity and in its financial stability. Annual attendance was raised to 400,000 with the number of events at an all-time high of 325. Under Evans’ leadership, The Bushnell became a top market for touring Broadway productions. In 1995, The Bushnell’s presentation of “The Phantom of the Opera” attracted 146,000 people and established The Bushnell’s role in Hartford’s tourism and revitalization plans. During his tenure in Hartford he created and hosted two national symposiums addressing “The Future of Classical Music” and “The Role of the Performing Arts Center in the Community”. For his efforts he was awarded the prestigious Horace Bushnell Award.

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In addition to his work with major foundations including the Heinz, Wallace and Knight, Evans was a registered lobbyist in the state of Connecticut and is considered to be a leader in government relations for support of the arts and has successfully secured arts funding from both federal and state government. He is a Founding Director of the Connecticut Arts Alliance, past Governor and member of the Executive Committee of the Broadway League, a Tony Awards Voter, a founding member of the Independent Presenters Network, a former Director of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and a member of Arts Presenters. Evans was presented with a Renaissance Award from the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce Downtown Council for his efforts in working towards the revival of downtown Hartford.

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