Thank You Sonia Nelson!

A black-and-white headshot of Aimee, an Asian woman in a dark dress with a serious expression and medium-long wavy hair over one shoulder

Sonia Nelson. Photo by Noelani Balanay. 
[ID: Headshot of Sonia, a multi-racial Asian woman with long dark hair and patterned glasses, outdoors in front of lush forest background. /End ID]

As we move into 2022, we’re reflecting on the things that made last year a success. One person who played a huge role in that was Sonia Nelson.

Sonia Nelson was Sound Theatre’s first ever Business Manager. She was tasked with the challenge of creating and defining a position in the midst of Sound Theatre Company’s transition from volunteer-run to professionally-staffed theatre. And Sonia rose to the occasion with level-headedness and a clear organizational eye.

Most of her accomplishments provided important structure in organization policies and processes. Sonia took the lead in finances and accounting and set up a payroll system. Her ability to handle large quantities of data shone when Artful.ly shut down and we needed to transfer all our data to a new CRM. Sonia researched different platforms before we landed on our current platform and oversaw all the data migration. She also designed our all-patron survey, helped create our first annual report, researched and advised on EDI and anti-racism training, and much, much more.

Did we mention that Sonia did all this completely remotely? She started the position in the beginning of the pandemic, and helped us navigate the adaptation to working from home. When asked about her time with the company, Sonia replied: 

“I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish during my time with Sound Theatre! The artistic vision, passion and deeply collaborative nature of the whole team was both inspiring and uplifting at a time when that is exactly what is needed. Sound’s ability as an organization to be unafraid to ask the tough questions–around racial equity, Native stories, Disability Justice, and intersectionality–gave me the confidence to continue this work within myself and to carry it forward.” 

Sonia moved closer to family in Kona, Hawaii and worked across time zones before transitioning to a new position. She currently works at Donkey Mill Art Center, where she is now designing a new role as their Donor Relations Manager.

Undoubtedly, Sonia has set up Sound Theatre Company and our incoming business manager for success. We’re grateful for her diligence and accomplishments and we wish her the best.

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