Past Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman and current LEPAA Board Chairman, Tim Collins, will end his almost decade-long tenure as chairman of the board in October. Collins will remain on the board of directors and will continue to serve in an advisory position for the executive team.
“I accepted the position of chairman of the Founding Board of Directors in 2013 with a big dream and an equally big task of bringing together a team of community members who would work to raise more than $100 million to build The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences,” said Collins. “The Hall has been open nearly two years now and has hosted performers like Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, Kristen Chenowith, Joan Jett, and of course all the fantastic Broadway performances. The Hall is in a good place, and this is an opportune time for me to focus on other important aspects of my life.”
LEPAA board member and community volunteer Patty D’Alise summed up Collins’s tenure. “After serving under the leadership of Tim, I cannot imagine anyone else in our community who could have steered this ship from an often spoken about dream to the fully completed Buddy Holly Hall,” said D’Alise. “Tim is as equally comfortable leading a board meeting, managing a construction site, and speaking to community groups with enthusiasm and a clear sense of vision.
“It may be years before people recognize the true gift he has given our community,” D'Alise continued. “To steal from an often-quoted speech; ‘The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat; who strives valiantly, who errs, because there is no effort without error; but who does actually strive to do the deeds.’”
Current board member, local business owner and community volunteer, Mark Bass of Pennington, Bass and Associates, will become chairman of the LEPAA board in October.
“Tim Collins has given ten years of his life as founding Chairman of LEPAA, and the planning, construction, and opening of The Buddy Holly Hall,” Bass said. “His skills at every phase, leadership of the LEPAA board, and involvement with our partners, donors, patrons, and community have made an impact on the quality of life that will last for generations.”
The LEPAA Founding Board of Directors was established in 2013 with the purpose of raising funds and oversight of construction efforts to build the state-of-the-art Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. LEPAA is transitioning from the founding board to an operational-focused board.
The Hall is privately funded through donations from foundations, individuals, and corporations; no tax dollars have been used to fund the not-for-profit facility. There is still a need for additional funding so the Buddy Holly Hall remains sustainable for many generations to come.
“With the successful completion and opening of Buddy Holly Hall,” Bass said, “LEPAA will continue its focus on our mission to build community through extraordinary experiences, creative collaboration, and inclusive access to the arts, entertainment, and education. There are many ways to be a part of LEPAA’s goal for sustainability through personalized guitar picks, naming opportunities, and annual giving.”
