Symphonic Music for San Antonio Names Tom Stephenson as First Executive Director

SMSA Symphonic Music for San Antonio For more information, contact Dya Campos: campos.dya@heb.com or 210-938-8075 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2017 Symphonic Music for San Antonio Names Tom Stephenson as First Executive Director SAN ANTONIO – Former Hearst newspaper executive Thomas A. Stephenson has been named the first Executive Director of the new Symphonic Music for San Antonio (SMSA) organization. The announcement was made by SMSA Chairman J. Bruce Bugg Jr. SMSA was formed in July as a new Texas nonprofit organization which will provide a fresh start for preserving and growing symphonic music in San Antonio while maintaining the longevity and strength of its symphony orchestra. Its four guiding principles are: Symphonic music in San Antonio is important to the community; A fair and reasonable contract for the symphony orchestra musicians is essential; Symphonic music should be resident in The Tobin Center; and Symphonic music should be available to support other Tobin Center resident arts organizations, such as opera and ballet. “Tom is an extraordinary executive who has great personal passion for the arts in San Antonio, especially the symphony orchestra,” Bugg said. “He completed an outstanding 41-year career in the newspaper business when he retired as Publisher and CEO of the Houston Chronicle last year. Prior to the Chronicle, he worked with the San Antonio Express-News from 1998 to 2012, serving as President and Publisher from 2006-12 and Executive Vice President and General Manager from 1998-2006.” “He knows San Antonio very well and is a Board member of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation which owns and operates The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts,” Bugg said. “Tom has served on the boards of the San Antonio United Way, University of the Incarnate Word and the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.” “We have been looking for the right person to set up and be responsible for all the business functions of SMSA, work with the orchestra musicians and provide outreach to the many stakeholders we have in the community,” Bugg said, “When Tom expressed an interest in taking on this position it was the quick, unanimous decision of our Board to accept, and he started to work last Friday.” Bugg, who is Chairman and Trustee of The Tobin Endowment, is joined on the SMSA Board by Dya Campos of H-E-B, as President, and J. Tullos Wells of the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, as Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Stephenson said, “The opportunity to take on a leadership role with Symphonic Music for San Antonio is one that really appeals to me. From my role in the private sector, I’ve worked to make San Antonio a better place to live, work and play. The arts truly make a community better and our world-class symphony orchestra is a huge contributor to the arts in San Antonio.” “I gained an even greater appreciation of the value of the orchestra through my work as a Board member of The Tobin Center,” he said. “It will be challenging and fun to be in on the ground floor as SMSA gears up, and I’m confident we can be successful in providing a financial foundation that will ensure a bright future for our symphony.” He was raised in Aberdeen, South Dakota and attended college at Northern State, where he received a degree in economics. He earned an MBA in General Management from the Carlson School of the University of Minnesota. He and his wife, Cindy, live in Bexar County and have two adult children. Stephenson and SMSA are housed in the Tobin Center’s administration building. Bugg said a shared services agreement is now being developed with The Tobin Center.