Michele Desrosiers Joins the Palace Theatre as Managing Director
Michele Desrosiers Joins the Palace Theatre as Managing Director
Marketing-focused arts professional to collaborate with Executive Director Kevin Johnson on fundraising while positioning the organization for growth.
Albany, NY — [Dec. 19, 2025] — The Palace Performing Arts Center announced today that Michele Desrosiers has joined the Palace Theatre as Managing Director. Desrosiers brings a blend of arts administration experience and corporate marketing leadership that uniquely positions her to support the Palace’s continued growth and community impact.
In this role, Desrosiers will work closely with Executive Director Kevin Johnson to strengthen marketing and fundraising initiatives, expand audience engagement, and deepen partnerships with community organizations across the Capital Region. Her focus will be on elevating the Palace’s visibility, enhancing donor and sponsor relationships, and broadening the theatre’s reach throughout the region.
Desrosiers’ background spans performing arts leadership, nonprofit management, strategic communications, and brand strategy. She has led large-scale marketing campaigns, driven organizational rebrands, guided audience growth strategies, and forged partnerships that increased visibility, revenue, and community impact. Her regional arts experience includes leadership roles at both Capital Repertory Theatre and Saratoga Performing Arts Center, complemented by significant corporate marketing work across technology, finance, and professional services sectors.
“Michele’s marketing experience and strong understanding of the arts community will be tremendous assets as we continue to strengthen our team and grow our presence in the Capital Region.” said Kevin Johnson, Executive Director of the Palace Performing Arts Center. “Her collaborative approach aligns well with our long-term goals for engagement and community partnership.”
Desrosiers added, “The Palace is a historic and cherished cultural institution. I’m excited to work with Kevin and the team to grow our audiences, cultivate community relationships, and support the theatre’s continued growth and impact.”
About the Palace Theatre
The Palace has been Albany’s iconic downtown landmark for the past nine decades, bringing the biggest names in entertainment to the Capital Region. The history and programming of the Palace is a unique and often untold story with roots dating back to the period of the Great Depression. The Palace Theatre, built in 1931, originally presented vaudeville acts, feature films and became a civic auditorium before closing its doors in 1969. The theatre maintains its original beauty and design and is a historical landmark in the City of Albany. The Palace Performing Arts Center, Inc was established in 1987 and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1988, to operate the Palace Theatre. The mission of the Palace Performing Arts Center is to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region, greatly enhancing the area's cultural and economic development. Our mission is carried out through core programming that includes performing arts entertainment & family-friendly performances and community engagement initiatives including free summer movies, an annual block party, a safe community trick-or-treat event and more. The Palace has a significant economic footprint in the Capital Region of New York, with over $3.5 million in ticket sales, which has a significant impact on the local restaurant and hospitality industry and over 150,000 visitors a year.