Nickelodeon theater names new executive director after nearly a year without one
The Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia will have a new executive director after nearly a year of looking.
Sumner Bender, a local educator and president of the board for Columbia theater company Trustus Theatre, will begin in the new role June 6.
The previous director, Anita Floyd, resigned in August 2021 to take another nonprofit position in Columbia.
The summer before Floyd left, the Columbia Film Society, which oversees The Nickelodeon, faced allegations of systemic racism. Former employees wrote a letter detailing the allegations, including the claim that non-white employees were underpaid.
An official with the film society left his position shortly after the letter began circulating. The society said it hired a consultant to address the allegations.
The Nickelodeon’s announcement naming Bender seemed to acknowledge the recent history.
“We were looking for a transformational, visionary cultural leader who had expertise in many different areas,” Charmaine Clowney, vice president of the Nickelodeon board, said in a news release.
The release also noted that Clowney is “an attorney who consults in the area of diversity and inclusion.”
Bender “will be embraced by many diverse communities in Columbia and beyond. I hope that we can keep her,” Clowney’s statement continues.
Bender previously taught theater at Spring Hill High School and now oversees professional development for all theater educators in her school district.
In 2019, Bender was featured by The State Media Co. as one of the year’s “20 under 40” honorees, noted for her involvement in various community arts programs.
The theater “has to be inclusive,” Bender said in the announcement. “You have to respect the base that has got you where you are, but make sure others feel represented and welcome. I have done that well in the past.”
Bender will step into the role as the theater transitions back to in-person movie screenings. The Nickelodeon began showing films again in mid-April after a roughly month-long hiatus. The venue has dealt with on-again, off-again showings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bender is confident Columbia will continue to support the theater as it recovers from the last two years.
“There is absolutely nothing like a shared experience. People want popcorn and beer, and they want to watch movies with their friends,” Bender said in the release.
