VIRGINIA ICE THEATRE ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Virginia Ice Theatre (VIT) announces the appointment of three new board members to the 2023-2024 VIT Board.
As VIT prepares to embark upon a new and exciting phase, I am pleased to announce the new Board of Directors – Michael Obar, Haley Perez, Robin Salsberry, Jordan Hawks, Tara Wright, Lisa Escano and Carrie Markels. I have full confidence that this new Board will continue to help the VIT artistic team in fostering an all-inclusive program where skaters of all levels have an opportunity to express themselves in a comfortable environment through skating, dance, and theatre.
Please join me in welcoming your 2023-2024 Board members.
Michael Obar – (President) Mike was introduced to VIT in the summer of 2021 after his daughter, Riley, attended the 2021 Summer Conservatory weekend clinic at PWIC. As an ice-skating parent, Mike spends his mornings and evenings at the rink as Riley, a singles skater, works on her jumps, spins, and moves. When not rinkside, Mike is the CFO of a mid-size federal government consultancy located in Arlington, VA. Prior to taking the reins as CFO, Mike spent almost 30 years working as a Program Manager, Naval Architect, and active duty Coast Guard officer, the last 20 of which were focused on the design and recapitalization of the US Coast Guard Fleet. Mike spent the last year as the fundraising chair of VIT.
Haley Salyer Perez – (Vice-President) Haley has been heavily involved with VIT since 2015, serving in various positions as needed throughout the years while her 3 daughters competed at various times with VIT. Professionally, Haley is a Realtor with Samson Properties and recently received the Top Producer Silver Individual award from Realtor Association of Prince William. In addition, Haley continues to periodically work as a professional actress, a career she began over 3 decades ago that has given her the opportunity to work on feature films, indie films & television shows as well as on stage at the Barter Theatre, the nation’s longest running professional theatre. Some career highlights have included working alongside Melanie Griffith & Shelley Long as their Stand-In/Photo Double in feature films, working as an actress on the CBS series “American Gothic,” and getting a Best Actress nomination for her work in “Solus,” a Washington, DC 48 Hour Film Festival project.
Jordan Hawks – (Treasurer) Jordan was introduced to VIT when his daughter Ellie joined the Prelim Team after the 2022 season. Outside of skating, Jordan is a Senior Investment Advisor with Rockefeller Capital Management, where he is responsible for the Washington, DC office. Jordan and his team work with both private and public foundations, nonprofits, endowments, and Native American Tribes and Indigenous Communities. Prior to his career at Rockefeller, Jordan spent 9 seasons as the Director of Tennis for the Wake Forest University Men’s Tennis Team. Under his guidance, the Demon Deacons were ranked #1 nationally for three consecutive years, winning the 2018 NCAA Team Championship, 2018 National Indoor Team Championship, and 3 ACC Team Championships. At Wake Forest, Jordan coached 12 All-Americans, including 2018 NCAA Men’s Singles Champion Petros Chrysochos, 2018 NCAA Men’s Singles Finalist Borna Gogo, 2015 NCAA Men’s Singles Finalist and 2014 Junior Wimbledon Champion Noah Rubin, and 2017 National Indoor Men’s Doubles Champions Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim.
Robin Salsberry – (Secretary) Robin has been active with VIT since 2018 and has served on the Board for the past few seasons. Robin’s daughter, Carina, skates on the Senior team for the 2022-2023 season; she also competes solo Novice Freeskate and with the DC/NoVA area Capitol High School Figure Skating Team, where Robin is assuming responsibility for social media. Robin is also the Team Manager for the Senior team and has organized fundraising and social media activities for both VIT and National Blades Synchronized Skating in the past. Outside of the rink Robin is VP – Health Plan Strategy & Growth for Teladoc Health and a national speaker on a variety of health care issues. She also serves as Treasurer for the Board of an association in NJ where she was previously Secretary.
Carrie Markels- (Fundraising) Carrie and her daughter Zemora first joined VIT in 2020 during the COVID pandemic chaos to find some new besties amongst an otherwise lonely environment. Carrie challenged herself making asparagus and lollipop props for the Prelim Team and learned to make team face masks on Zemora’s sewing machine. Recently, she was named Towel Goddess by her VIT peers at the recently successful Cardinal fundraising booth. When she is not running Zemora to an ice rink, she is also wife and mom to a teenager and to Zemora’s twin sister. Carrie also volunteers as a Girl Scout Troop Leader where her twins just bridged to Cadettes. Carrie works as an IT Solutions Architect for a large Federal Contractor and in peaceful rare moments…likes to knit and crochet while binging Netflix.
Tara Wright (Director) – Tara was first introduced to VIT in 2022 when her daughter Miranda’s figure skating coach, a former member of of VIT herself, suggested that Miranda try out for the team. In addition to Miranda, a solo skater who also skates on the VIT Prelim team, Tara is mom to a 14U Travel Hockey Player, a 10U Travel Hockey Player and an 8U half pint who is just starting her Ice Hockey career, all 3 of whom play for the Reston Raiders, at Skatequest in Reston. For the 2023-24 season, in addition to serving on the VIT board, Tara will also be team manager for 3 travel Hockey Teams (The Vale Vikings Middle School team, a 14U Lower A team, and a 10U Upper A team) and, during hockey season, is at as many as 8 different DC Metro Ice Rinks each week for her children’s various activities, lessons, and games. When she is not at a rink, Tara is an Engineering project manager for a large Federal Contractor and enjoys crochet, reading trashy novels and cooking / baking with her children.
Lisa Escano (Director) – Lisa first joined the VIT family in 2023 when her daughter, Emma, joined the Adaptive Skating Team. As a dedicated parent to a child with special needs, Lisa not only supports her daughter’s journey but also serves as a passionate advocate within the community. In addition to her role as the Team Manager for the Adaptive Team, Lisa strives to increase awareness and dialogue about special needs athletes. She actively engages with other parents, coaches, and community members to promote inclusion and provide support. While juggling her responsibilities as a parent, Lisa is also a clinical pharmacist and an assistant professor with the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy at the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. In this role, she brings her unique perspective and experiences to provide didactic and experiential teaching to pharmacy students in the acute care setting. Lisa’s unwavering dedication and commitment to supporting individuals with special needs, along with her enthusiasm for joining the VIT Board, reflect her strong desire to make a meaningful and positive impact within the community.