cece stricklin, longtime patron and supporter and Vice President OF
charleston stage's board of trustees passed away on April 11, 2021.
In The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard tells Dorothy to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. But in many ways, it’s the men behind the curtains that make all the difference. Certainly, that is the case for Cece Stricklin, a dear friend of Charleston Stage.
Cece joined Charleston Stage’s Board of Directors in 2013. Just one year after joining the board, he became Vice President, a position he held until this week.
As a retired vice president of Employee Relations at ICI America, Cece brought his business and HR expertise to Charleston Stage. He helped us analyze and benchmark our financial operations with other theatres around the country.
Cece helped to establish a new Board Governance Committee which streamlined board operations, updated the company’s bylaws, and helped to expand the board from 16 to 24 members.
With his wife, Char, Cece introduced scores of new patrons, donors and supporters to the work of Charleston Stage, and led by example with their own generous gifts to Charleston Stage.
Using his real estate experience, Cece was especially instrumental in securing new costume and scene shops in West Ashley in 2016. He helped Charleston Stage raise the one million dollars needed to secure the company’s West Ashley Theatre Education Center and its Pearl Theatre.
In 2019 Cece was presented with the Laura Hewitt Distinguished Service Award for his longtime service to Charleston Stage.
And in this challenging year of COVID, Cece’s enthusiasm never wavered and his support and guidance helped us to navigate one of the most challenging times in Charleston Stage’s history. He was excited to know we were announcing our return to production in September.
There has been no greater friend of Charleston Stage. He will be sorely missed.