Barron joined the Board of Directors in 2020 after seeing many performances at KCT by his oldest daughter, Lena. Barron is a CPA, with Pugh CPAs where he works with many companies in a variety of industries, including financial institutions, governmental and not-for-profit entities and closely-held companies. His expertise is in financial statement audits, internal audits, loan review and compliance services, review and compilation services. Barron is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in audit.
Barron is also involved in many professional and community organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) – Knoxville Chapter (Financial Institutions Committee Member & Collegiate Outreach Committee Chair), Tennessee Bankers Association, Institute of Internal Auditors, Risk Management Association, and the Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church-past Finance Committee Chair. Barron and his wife, Liz, are parents to daughters Lena and Alyssa.
Carol Anne joined the Board of Directors in 2022 after becoming involved with the theatre in 2019. Her daughter, Janie, was bitten by the theatre bug in early 2019, and KCT has been her home-away-from home ever since. Carol Anne, who was born in Nashville and raised in Jackson, has called Knoxville home for the past 30 years. A two-time graduate of the University of Tennessee, she holds a B.A. in English Literature from UT Knoxville and a J.D. from the UT College of Law. After first practicing law and then serving as a career clerk with the state appellate courts in Knoxville, Carol Anne joined the College of Law as the Associate Director of Career Services in March 2022. When she’s not at work or driving Janie to and from KCT, she enjoys spending time with her husband, their two children, and their rescue dogs.
Darrell, the former Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Knoxville Police Department, and currently serving the FBI as Public Affairs Officer, has been involved with the Knoxville Children’s Theatre since his daughter Abigayle made her KCT stage debut in 2013. Darrell’s professional background includes 18 years in television, both as a photojournalist and as the assignment manager for one of the top NBC affiliates in the country. He is currently a member of the National Information Officer’s Association and was one of Tennessee’s longest-serving PIOs. In addition to Abigayle, Darrell has another daughter, Allison, who just completed medical school.
Kelley joined the Board in 2022 after being involved with KCT since 2016 when her daughter was cast in The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs, directed by Zack Allen. She is forever grateful that Zack was Lily’s first director. After living in nine different cities (and six states), Kelley has been settled in Knoxville since 2001. She was a transportation planner with local government for more than two decades before starting her own business, Made by Kelley, to have more time for parenting and volunteer work. She holds a M.S in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of South Carolina. She loves reading, planning trips, and attending live theatre.
Jen joined the Board of Directors in 2023 after being involved with KCT when her daughter participated in classes and was cast in Snow White in 2022. She loved seeing how children, families and the community came together to share beautiful experiences through engaging and professional productions. Jen is from California but has lived in Knoxville for 25 years. She holds a B.A. in Television Production from California State University of Northridge. After working in Los Angeles, Jen moved to Knoxville where she was a Production Manager on many shows and specials for networks including Travel Channel, HGTV, Food Network and DIY Network. She is currently the Director of Program Management for Magnolia Network. Jen hopes that her experience in production and event planning will have a positive influence in assisting KCT.
Janice joined the Board in 2023, but joined the KCT family in 2008 when her first grandchild declared she wanted to act on stage. Fortunately, when she went looking for opportunities, Zack Allen had just opened the theatre and the rest is history. She is the grandmother of KCT alumnus/part time Academy Instructor Jaden Lily Branson and current KCT actors, Eason and Vivienne as well as 4 year old Lulu Bullard. She is delighted to take on another role with KCT after helping with theater photography since the Tyson Street location. Janice is a recently retired nurse practitioner/nurse educator after a nearly 50 year career. She holds a BSN from the University of Tennessee and a MSN from Vanderbilt. She is an East Tennessean and is honored to be a part of such a jewel as KCT.
Sterling joined the KCT Board of Directors in 2023. Sterling (Sterl the Pearl®) Henton became an entrepreneur at the age of 8 when he began to DJ his elementary school parties and local community events in his hometown of Passaic, New Jersey. Sterling is now a driven leader and CEO of Rev It uP, LLC., an entertainment event planning and marketing company that emphasizes motivational team building and good old fashion fun activities.
Realizing his natural talent for entertaining and motivating teams, Sterling took his leadership skills to the football field. He earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Tennessee and led the Volunteers down the field as starting quarterback. During Sterling’s collegiate career, he won four bowl games (Liberty, Peach, Cotton, and Sugar). With Sterling at the helm, TN also won back to back SEC Championships. Sterling exhibited leadership off the field as well. He served as various officers including President of Omega Psi Phi, Inc., Iota Beta chapter. He also created Club 90 on WUTK, the area’s only hip hop radio show that is still heard today on the station’s airwaves.
His passion for giving back as a student-athlete could be seen throughout the Knoxville community. As one of Knoxville’s adopted favorite son’s, Sterling spent countless hours developing his motivational speaking skills with the children in the local schools. He inspired youthful dreamers on how to plan for their passions and coached young minds to cultivate positive behaviors.
Upon graduation, Sterling continued to develop his team-building skills during four seasons in the Canadian Football League for the British Columbia Lions and a season in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators. Afterward Sterling was a VP of Marketing for Warner Brothers (Southeast Region) before becoming a Senior Business Analyst for International Profit Associates. Sterling further refined his coaching, communication, and cultivating skills while obtaining his MBA, Human Resource Management from Columbus University.
His appetite for radio and television has birthed a new career. Sterl the Pearl® co-hosted Pearl and the Girl sports radio show and is a television featured host for The Sports Source and 6 Sports Sunday. Sterling has ventured into acting with appearances on several national television shows including Survivor’s Remorse, Empire, Nashville, and Homicide Hunter just to name a few. The big screen has become just as appealing with a role in the film All Eyez on Me.
Sterl the Pearl® continuous love for music, the Vols, and entertaining the masses is heard in Neyland Stadium. He is the official DJ for the University of Tennessee football team. He is also the official DJ for Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine as well as spinning for several large events, festivals, weddings, and celebrity galas. Sterling is an executive partner with Urban Hangover, a destination vacation company with team building and leadership exercises for the attendees. Sterl the Pearl® has been heard all over the US and in Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, and Indonesia.
Sterling still gives back to the community via his many board appointments, motivational speaking engagements, team building activities, entertainment hosting, as well as coaching our youth and young at heart.
