Longtime arts executive Claudia de Vasco is taking the reins at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

A Houston native who most recently served as the Executive and Artistic Director of The Public Theater of San Antonio, de Vasco will assume the role of Managing Director at Miller in January. She takes over from Cissy Segall Davis who was Managing Director of the outdoor performance space in Hermann Park for nearly 15 years.

De Vasco will oversee the day-to-day operations at Miller, including a grants program for Houston performing arts and community organizations. Alongside the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, she will program annual seasons of more than 100 free performances. Houston First Corporation maintains the physical facility.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Claudia de Vasco back to Houston,” said Miller Theatre Advisory Board Chair Romulo Tim Cisneros. “This is a critical role ensuring that the future of Houston’s most diverse performing arts stage remains viable for decades to come. The entire board is looking forward to working with Claudia to steward Miller forward as Cissy Segall Davis did for so many years.”

A graduate of the Kinder School for the Performing and Visual Arts, de Vasco received her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program, from the University of Minnesota, Summa Cum Laude. She held a number of roles in arts organizations in Los Angeles and later back in Texas.

“It’s an honor to be returning to my hometown and stepping into the role of Managing Director for Miller Theatre Advisory Board,” de Vasco said. “A stage on which I’ve performed and enjoyed as a patron. Miller Outdoor Theatre is unique with its full calendar of live music, opera, ballet, theatre, contemporary dance and much more, all presented free of charge for everyone to enjoy, and I hope that Houstonians are as proud of this institution as I am.”

This year, Miller Outdoor Theatre is celebrating its 100th anniversary on its 7.5-acre footprint in Hermann Park. The theater is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

(Pictured above: Claudia de Vasco)