Congratulating J. L. "Lynn" Singleton on His Retirement as President and Ceo of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) and Thanking Him for the Success That Has Been Achieved Under His Leadership

WHEREAS, J. L. "Lynn" Singleton joined the Providence Performing Arts Center as Executive Director in May of 1983, and under his renowned leadership, transformed it from near bankruptcy into one of the foremost not-for-profit theatres in North America, and currently the second largest theatre of its kind in New England, with a seating capacity of 3,100; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of Mr. Singleton’s forty-three tenure with PPAC, the number of events at the venue have more than tripled and attendance has increased to over 350,000 patrons annually; and

WHEREAS, Through Mr. Singleton’s vision and thriving fundraising, PPAC has regained its historic splendor, and through a nearly $8 million stagehouse expansion project, amazing shows such as The Phantom of the Opera, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, Les Misérables, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, and Jersey Boys, to name but a few, have been performed to the delight of audiences from Rhode Island and throughout New England, with a total of 24 national tours launched or opened at PPAC since 2008; and

WHEREAS, PPAC is located in the heart of Providence’s arts and entertainment district, and has consistently delivered an economic boost to the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island; and

WHEREAS, Upon his retirement from PPAC, Mr. Singleton will remain in his current position as President and CEO of Professional Facilities Management (PFM), Inc., which has contracts with 10 venues in 6 states; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Mr. Singleton has earned a plethora of awards and recognitions including Providence Business News “Driving Force” designation in the Rhode Island business community in 2011, 2016, and 2021. He has also received Trinity Repertory Company’s Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts in 2012, the John Hazen White, Sr. Leadership in the Arts Award in 2018, the inaugural Providence Renaissance Award for Highest Achievement in the Arts, was inducted into The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2023, and was a WaterFire Providence Fireball Honoree for Civic Impact in 2025. He is also a voting member of the Tony Awards, and received an Emmy Award for Best Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program for the play Peter Pan; and

WHEREAS, Lynn Singleton has been acknowledged for his “outstanding vision and leadership, which paved the way for PPAC to build on its previous foundation to become the highly respected world-class venue that it is today” and while certainly well-deserved, his retirement is an immeasurable loss to the Arts in Rhode Island; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby congratulates Lynn Singleton on the occasion of his retirement as President and CEO of PPAC. We moreover wholeheartedly thank him for his years of dedication and for the success he has brought to the arts, and the acclaim he has brought to our State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. J. L. "Lynn" Singleton.