Paramount Theatre
  125 4th Ave. NE
  Austin, MN 55912

  507.434.0934

 Box Office Hours:
  M-F, 9am-1pm
  Sat, 9am-12pm

  1 1/2 hr.
  Before Show Times

Board of Directors

 

Alice Holst, Secretary, Alice is Manager of U.S. Bank, Austin. She has worked for the company a very long time in many different capacities. Alice is involved in several community organizations. She is President of the Austin Rotary Club, Treasurer of the Riverland Community College Foundation, Treasurer of St. Olaf Lutheran Church. She is a member of the board of directors of Meals On Wheels, Northwester Singers, Summerset Theatre, Community Learning Center and Paramount Theatre (AACA). She is a graduate of the 2007 Blandin Leadership program. She enjoys singing with the Northwestern Singers, St. Olaf Church Choir, Symphony Chorus and the quartet InSynque, among others. She also enjoys performing on the stage for Riverland Theatre and Summerset productions-and anywhere else they will let her. A favorite pastime is mowing the lawn as often as possible on her John Deere lawn mower.

 

Janet Anderson,  past President and primary driving force during the critical early years of the Paramount restoration and organization of the Austin Area Commission for the Arts. Her background in theatre and community leadership roles enabled her to add credibility to the project. She is the co-founder of Matchbox Children’s Theatre one of the founding AACA board members, serves on the Programming Committee and is a frequent volunteer for the Paramount events. Janet is also a member of the Austin City Council, serves on the Board for the Austin Area Foundation and Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau as well as being an active community volunteer for other projects.

Sally Kolb is a retired educator and a visual artist. She volunteers for a number of agencies including: Friends of the Library, CARE Council, Salvation Army and the J.C. Hormel Nature Center.

Monica Lonergan is a long time board member and has been our strongest historical member of the board. She has been past president and board member of the Mower County Historical Society, past president and current member of the Genealogy Society and is a current regent for the Daughters of the American Revolution and is involved with the planning of Austin’s Sesquicentennial.  She has researched and recorded major events that took place at the Paramount since its opening day.  She prepared binders showing every movie at the theatre from 1929 until 1975 and also works at Paramount Theatre events.  

Joel Nelson is the owner of Nelson Sound Electronics and has brought his sound expertise to the Paramount project. He has been most generous in lending us various electronic pieces to allow us to present shows that had professional sound right from the earliest days of the Paramount. His sound won a regional Emmy for the Miss Mississippi Pageant. Joel also serves as a board member for Minnesota Storytellers.

Karen Schneider is a homemaker and has a love for the arts and for historical buildings. She also serves on the Historic Hormel Home Board of Trustees. Karen recruited many of the fundraiser's for our major fund raising drive in 2002.

Ian Shapinsky is a well-known concert pianist who now lives in Austin. He has performed throughout the United States and Europe.  His skills include performing, lecturing, teaching, master classes, recordings, and is very skilled in solo works, chamber music and concertos. He has performed numerous times at the Paramount.

Linda Sistek is an insurance agent and Customer Service Representative for Heartman Insurance Agency. She serves on the Matchbox Children’s Theatre board and is the manager for AACA Charitable Gambling. For Keepsake Quilters, Inc. of Austin, she has been past president and is a charter member while serving as the Newsletter editor/board member. Linda has been a past board member of the Austin Women’s Bowling Assn. and have been secretary/treasurer of the Echo Majors women’s bowling league for over 10 years. She volunteers at the reception desk at St. Olaf Lutheran Church and also at Paramount events.

Dave Sylte retired after 36 years working with the Social Security Administration at various locations around the Midwest. He was District Manager of the Austin Social Security Office for 4 1/2 years. In moves with his employment, Dave has been part of several barbershop harmony choruses and quartets. For 12 yea4rs he directed the Sons of Harmony Chorus in Marion, Indiana. Most recently he has been singing with the Forte' Milers Barbershop Chorus in Adams. He also is a member of the Austin Rotary Club, the United Way Community Assessment Committee, the Mower County Senior Center Board, the Age Wave Coalition and the Friends of the Library. At St. Olaf Lutheran Church he sings in the choir and serves on the St. Olaf Foundation Board.

Lora Lee Bauer is retired after 34 years at KAAL-TV as traffic manager. She joined the Paramount board as the representative of Matchbox Children's Theatre in 2009. Lora Lee has been involved with Matchbox for over 25 years and is an active Paramount volunteer. Lora Lee is also a very talented artist and painter and is a member of the Austin Arts Center.

Lance Hoefflin

Rod Nordeng is a Vice President at Austin Medical Center-Mayo Health Center. He and his wife Mary have been a part of the Austin Area for 13 years and currently live in Rose Creek with their children Brenna and Pierce. Rod is an active member of the Austin Community serving on various business and community boards. The Arts are an important part of the Nordeng family with Mary being a nationally recognized quilter and children that are active in plays and music. The Nordengs enjoy attending local plays and concerts, Minnesota Opera and hard rock concerts. They also attend Viking and Gopher football games.