Our Team
The Performing Arts Educators bring together a select group of performers, producers, directors, stage managers, educators, and administrators, bound by an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence and meticulous execution. We approach every production with disciplined passion, thoughtful precision, and joy —infusing each moment with refined care and measured creativity to deliver seamless, impeccably crafted experiences.
Recognition from the World's Leading Venues
For more than 25 years, the professional staff of the world’s preeminent venues have recognized PAE as the most organized and reliably managed production partner for amateur and emerging performing arts ensembles. This includes:
- Carnegie Hall
- Lincoln Center
- Kennedy Center
- Distinguished international stages
A Legacy of Distinction
Performing Arts Educators was co-founded over 25 years ago by Matthew "Max" Straub and Mark Jacob, whose aligned vision created a nonprofit singularly dedicated to granting emerging ensembles privileged, non-competitive access to the world's foremost venues. This founding commitment has been carried forward through sustained collaboration across the Straub and Jacob families, uniting strategic oversight, operational discipline, and steadfast artistic principle. Under Max Straub's executive leadership, PAE has mounted distinguished series at Carnegie Hall (now in its 18th year), Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and select international platforms—including landmark presentations during the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympics. Mark Jacob, General Manager and co-founder, has delivered flawless execution across hundreds of productions. As board chair, Dr. Carrie Straub Jacob has provided discerning governance and educational depth. Katie Jacob Salmon, Executive Producer, has advanced this standard through her direction of signature Invitationals at Carnegie Hall and the Summer Stages series in Italy, building on her on-site leadership during PAE's London engagements in 2012. Mackenzie Jacob, Media Manager, contributes sophisticated multi-platform strategy, elevating visibility and engagement for these high-profile initiatives.
The result is an enduring institutional distinction: more than 25 years of enabling ambitious ensembles to take the stage with absolute confidence, fully liberated to pursue artistry at its highest level and to create cultural value that endures.
The result is an enduring institutional distinction: more than 25 years of enabling ambitious ensembles to take the stage with absolute confidence, fully liberated to pursue artistry at its highest level and to create cultural value that endures.
Meet Our Team
Matthew "Max" Straub
Executive Producer & Founder
Matthew "Max" Straub serves as Executive Producer and Founder of Performing Arts Educators, providing discerning leadership and vision to a legacy of distinguished productions spanning more than 25 years. Under his stewardship, the organization has mounted acclaimed series at Carnegie Hall (15 presentations), Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (12), the Kennedy Center (2), and the Grand Ole Opry stage, with prior engagements at Broadway and off-Broadway venues as well as Olympic-related sites in Sydney 2000 and London 2012. A performer of notable breadth, Mr. Straub's background includes flute with the former Florida Symphony Orchestra, primary winds at Walt Disney World, extensive fife work with the WDW Fife and Drum Corps and the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteers in Gettysburg, Baroque performance on period instruments, and even participation in Andy Warhol's 1966 Exploding Plastic Inevitable. His educational contributions encompass directing parochial music programs (orchestra, band, chorus) from kindergarten through high school, teaching Humanities at the college level, and co-authoring the enduring Mime: Basics for Beginners (1984), a foundational text still in use among performing artists. Today, he continues his pursuit of mastery by teaching himself the mandolin, embodying a lifelong dedication to artistic excellence and exploration. |
Mark Jacob
General Manager & Founder
Mark Jacob is General Manager and Co-Founder of Performing Arts Educators, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of longstanding distinction dedicated to offering amateur talent discerning, non-competitive opportunities on the world's most revered stages—Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and select international venues. In this capacity, Mr. Jacob brings measured oversight to the operational and financial dimensions of PAE's mission: cultivating inspiration, fostering genuine collaboration, and extending privileged access to high-caliber performing arts experiences for youth and emerging artists. His contributions quietly underpin the organization's collaborative productions, educational initiatives, and community-oriented events, ensuring that excellence in performance and purpose remains seamlessly aligned. |
Katie Jacob SalmonExecutive Producer
Katie Salmon serves as Executive Producer and Operations Director of Performing Arts Educators, where she brings discerning oversight to the organization's legacy of excellence in performance and education. Drawing on her lifelong immersion in the performing arts and substantial experience in ed-tech immersive learning, she stewards PAE with quiet authority and vision. A former amateur performer, Ms. Salmon is devoted to cultivating and expanding the PAE Fellowship Community, creating an environment of refinement where emerging talent may flourish with confidence and artistry. With over a decade of expertise in leadership cultivation, inclusive stewardship, and meaningful engagement, she champions opportunities that honor the transformative essence of the performing arts—fostering profound, enduring experiences for performers and audiences alike. Her work reflects a profound appreciation for the arts' capacity to elevate and connect, delivered with grace and unwavering commitment to excellence. |
Carrie Straub Jacob, PhDBoard Chair
Dr. Carrie Straub Jacob serves as Board Chair of Performing Arts Educators, an organization her family founded and has guided for more than 25 years in producing performances of distinction at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and select international stages. Active in Rotary Sunshine Stuart and Impact 100 Martin, with involvement at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, she lends thoughtful stewardship to cultural access and philanthropic purpose across the Treasure Coast and northern Palm Beach County.As Executive Director of Educational Programs and Research at Mursion, she advanced AI-powered virtual reality simulations for leadership and communication skills, building on foundational research at the University of Central Florida supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This work informs her commitment to bridging education and the arts in local communities—including Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound, and Jupiter—as well as international venues across Europe. Through her quiet leadership, Dr. Straub seeks to make the world more beautiful by sharing the blessings of the arts—fostering joy, connection, and inspiration that uplift both individuals and communities with grace and enduring purpose. |
Allison Gianino
Special Events Producer
Allison Gianino serves as Special Events Producer for Performing Arts Educators, bringing discerning oversight to productions of distinction that honor the organization's legacy with grace and exacting care. A lifelong devotee of the arts, Ms. Gianino began as a dancer at an early age with Florida Arts & Dance Company in Palm City, nurturing an early passion for performance that has informed her path. A graduate of Duke University (B.A. in Cultural Anthropology), she contributed as a writer for The Chronicle, offering thoughtful cultural and arts commentary. She draws refined expertise from distinguished roles in event management and program leadership. She is presently managing the production of Short Cuts Film Fest at the Lyric Theater in Stuart, Florida, cultivating meaningful cultural experiences with strategic clarity and quiet authority. Rooted in service, from EFL tutoring to communications work with the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, Allison regards genuine connection as the essence of lasting impact. Her stewardship at PAE sustains excellence in events, culture, and collaboration, executed with poise, precision, and fidelity to purposeful endeavor. |
Mackenzie Jacob
Media Manager
Mackenzie Jacob is an accomplished multi-platform media strategist whose early career blends creative insight with strategic precision in entertainment. She honed her expertise at HBO Creative Services, Paramount/Nickelodeon (where she helped elevate Nicktoons to the #1 Kids & Family channel), and Allied Global Marketing with clients including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney. In live entertainment, she directs media strategy and promotion for Performing Arts Educators' productions at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and international venues. Currently in Client Partnerships at NBCUniversal, she coordinates high-profile brand initiatives—including Super Bowl campaigns—while cultivating strategic alliances for landmark properties. Complementing her work, Ms. Jacob hosts Dressed Rehearsal, a thoughtful podcast exploring the intersection of Broadway artistry and personal style. For her, the arts are essential channels for empathy, genuine connection, and broadened perspective. |
David Knoell
Executive Stage Manager
David Knoell is a distinguished theatre educator, actor, director, and stage manager known for his work in professional performance and collegiate training. He joined Performing Arts Educators in 2014, serving as stage manager at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and venues across Italy. Residing in Salt Lake City, Utah, he is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Salt Lake Community College and has worked with Pioneer Theatre Company, Plan-B Theatre Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, and the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. Previously in Chicago, he performed and directed with The Second City, Stage 773, The Playground Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists. In Florida, credits include Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Mad Cow Theatre, and Orlando Family Stages, with additional work at Nebraska Repertory Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, and Hallmark Pictures. A member of Actors’ Equity Association and IATSE (Local 99), Knoell holds a B.A. from the University of Nebraska and an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Central Florida. His career embodies artistic excellence, collaboration, and the development of emerging talent. |
Stephanie Stroud
Stage Manager
Stephanie Stroud serves as Associate Professor of Theatre at Westminster University, where she brings thoughtful authority to the cultivation of emerging talent and the advancement of theatrical practice. A founding member of Mortar Theater Company in Chicago, Ms. Stroud served as Casting Director and Movement Director, contributing to its distinctive voice within the city's rigorous theatre landscape. Her work as actor and director spans esteemed ensembles including Mortar Theater Company, Saltbox Collective, Pegasus Players, Chicago Dramatists, Something Marvelous, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Profiles, and Second City. She holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Penn State University and has pursued advanced study with SITI Company and Tectonic Theater Project in New York, the Neo-Futurists in Chicago, and Rimini Protokoll in Germany. An alumna of Lincoln Center Directors Lab and Chicago Directors Lab, she is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Actors' Equity Association, and American Theater Movement Educators. Ms. Stroud's practice is grounded in disciplined exploration of movement, text, and ensemble dynamics—pursued with intellectual precision and a profound respect for the transformative power of live performance. |
Del Kieffner Award – Honoring Exceptional Mentorship
Each year, PAE presents the Del Kieffner Award—a national recognition honoring instrumental, choral, or dance directors who demonstrate extraordinary mentorship of young artists. Established in 2007 to celebrate the legacy of Del Kieffner, this award reflects PAE's enduring commitment to elevating those who shape the next generation of performing arts excellence.
View Past Recipients & Award Details
View Past Recipients & Award Details
