Carol Wallace, President & CEO, San Diego Theatres, Inc.

Carol Wallace is the president and CEO of San Diego Theatres, Inc. San Diego Theatres is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit corporation that manages, operates, and markets the San Diego Civic Theatre and the historic Balboa Theatre under long-term leases with the City of San Diego. The Civic Theatre and the Balboa Theatre are the performing homes of Broadway/San Diego, the San Diego Opera, and California Ballet. With an annual budget of approximately $8.1 million, San Diego Theatres welcomes over 500,000 patrons annually to the theater venues. San Diego Theatres partners with presenters and artists to ensure the community has access to performing arts that are inclusive, thought-provoking and entertaining.

Previously, Ms. Wallace served as president and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, where she led the bayside facility for over 24 years. She was responsible for the overall management, marketing and operation of the facility, oversaw a full-time and part-time staff of more than 550 and an annual budget that exceeded $33 million. Under her leadership, the San Diego Convention Center became one of the most successful facilities in the nation and a model for other U.S. cities.

In her 35 year career, Ms. Wallace has earned a reputation as a top industry executive, working for the Dallas Convention Center as well as the Colorado Convention Center. When she came to San Diego in 1991, she played a pivotal leadership role convincing key constituents to expand the San Diego Convention Center, resulting in an expansion opening in 2001. The expansion exceeded all expectations, and Ms. Wallace began work with the City of San Diego and Port of San Diego on a $520 million Phase III expansion project.

Affiliations

Ms. Wallace’s hard work and dedication have earned her numerous industry accolades and appointments. In addition to serving on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, Ms. Wallace also served as the North American representative on the board of directors for AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres), the industry association for professional convention and exhibition center managers world-wide, with representation from more than 53 different countries. She was also on the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Education Foundation board of trustees, and is the past president of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), the world’s largest public assembly facility management association. Ms. Wallace has received numerous awards and community recognitions. In 2004, she received IAVM’s highest honor, the Charles A. McElravy Award, for her exceptional leadership and extraordinary career-long accomplishments.

Ms. Wallace is a graduate of Ohio State University, is married and the mother of three adult children.