TOLEDO, OH – On July 29, 2024, the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced the appointment of Marna Ramnath as the new Board Chair and Richard Karcher as the Vice Chair, effective July 1, 2024.
Ramnath succeeds Steve Cavanaugh, who served as TAPA’s Board Chair from 2022-2024. Ramnath served as Vice Chair during Cavanaugh’s chairmanship.
Ramnath brings experience and dedication to her new role, having served on and chaired numerous nonprofit boards throughout her career. She is deeply committed to the Toledo community and has been an advocate for the arts within TAPA.
"Marna and Dick bring a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to TAPA's mission,” said Zak Vassar, President and CEO of TAPA. “Their leadership will be instrumental as we continue to expand our impact and serve the Toledo community through the arts."
Marna Ramnath, a Registered Nurse by profession, holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, the University of North Dakota, and Medical College of Ohio. Her deep commitment to excellence extends beyond healthcare to her advocacy for the arts. This is demonstrated through her longstanding dedication to TAPA's affiliated organizations: the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Ballet, and Toledo Jazz Orchestra.
Since joining the Toledo Symphony board in 1995, Ramnath has played pivotal roles at the Symphony and TAPA. She served as Chair of TAPA’s Governance and Nominations Committee and Orchestra Relations Committee.
She additionally served on task forces that selected the Symphony’s President in 2016, negotiated the merger between the Toledo Symphony and Toledo Ballet in 2018, and negotiated the merger between TAPA and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra in 2024.
“I passionately believe in TAPA’s ability to enrich lives, educate children, and enhance the cultural vibrancy of the community,” says Ramnath. “I’m excited to see this organization continue to thrive in the coming years.”
Richard Karcher, newly appointed Vice Chair, brings a distinguished background in arts advocacy and organizational leadership to his role. With more than four decades of involvement with the Toledo Symphony as a volunteer and 11 years as a trustee, Karcher has demonstrated a strong commitment to the performing arts.
Karcher is an attorney at law, with two degrees from the University of Toledo. He has built personal relationships with dozens of Toledo Symphony musicians by offering his legal representation.
Richard and his wife, Connie, chaired the Toledo Symphony’s Dinner Music fundraiser at the Toledo Club in 2012. This event coordinated different menus and musical selections in every room of the storied building.
In 2019, Karcher chaired the Venue Task Force, which examined acoustical properties of the area’s performance venues. This work ultimately resulted in the installation of an acoustical shell at the Valentine Theatre.
In 2023, he chaired the Facilities Task Force, which ultimately recommended the former Masonic Temple on Heatherdowns Blvd as TAPA’s future headquarters, education, and community center.
Karcher provided support and expertise to the 2018 and 2024 collective bargaining agreement negotiations between Toledo Symphony and Local 15-286 of the American Federation of Musicians.
Karcher, an avid runner, compares the performing arts to an endurance race: “Watching a performance by the Symphony, Ballet, or Jazz Orchestra quickens the pulse and enlivens the audience. Our performers are athletes of the highest caliber, and we are fortunate to have their contributions to the Toledo community. They deserve our fervent celebration.”
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ABOUT TAPA
The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) is a collective consisting of the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Symphony School of Music, Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestras, and most recently, The Toledo Jazz Orchestra. TAPA strives to establish meaningful partnerships with individuals and organizations that fundamentally impact the cultural life of our region. As a vibrant and growing arts organization, TAPA empowers all in our region to experience the performing arts through concerts, recitals, education programs, community engagement and activation, private lessons, fully staged productions, and more.
In the fall of 2024, TAPA will move its headquarters to the former Masonic Temple adjacent to the Stranahan Theater on Heatherdowns Blvd. This new facility will serve as the artistic hub for all of TAPA's administrative offices, education programs, private lessons and group classes, some performances, and community programming.
