WATERVILLE — The executive director of the Waterville Opera House is stepping down this month after four years on the job.

Waterville Creates, the umbrella arts group that oversees the opera house and other local groups, said Tamsen Brooke Warner is expected to leave the post next Thursday to become finance and operations manager at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle.

Tamsen Brooke Warner is stepping down as executive director of the Waterville Opera House. Photo courtesy of Waterville Creates

“Tamsen has been an invaluable member of the Waterville Creates leadership team, a trusted advisor and colleague, and a passionate leader and advocate for the Waterville Opera House and its mission,” Shannon Haines, president and CEO of Waterville Creates, wrote in a statement.

“I am incredibly grateful for all that she has contributed and can safely say that we would not be where we are today without her.”

As executive director of the opera house, Warner has overseen production of more than 150 live music and community theater performances. She has extensive history with the opera house, having been involved in stage management, scenic painting and performance for many years, according to Waterville Creates.

Michelle Sweet, assistant executive director of the Waterville Opera House, will serve as interim executive director during the transition, according to the group.

Waterville Creates has also announced Mary Ellms will join the organization next Thursday as marketing associate. Among her responsibilities, Ellms will handle media inquiries.

“During this transitional time and as in-person programming gradually resumes, Waterville Creates plans to evaluate its current staffing model to develop a longer-range plan,” the organization wrote in its statement.

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