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The Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center, Inc. has announced Brenda Campbell of Troy as the new executive director of the Johnson Center for the Arts. Campbell will follow in the footsteps of Bill Hopper, who is stepping away to dedicate more time to his position as vice president of Business and Finance at Alabama State University.

Hopper said his three-year tenure at the JCA has been an enlightening experience.

“I have learned more about the arts than I ever thought I would and have grown to appreciate the arts in a way I would never have imagined,” he said. “And, I’m not going away. I will continue as board chair of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center, Inc. and to be actively involved with the Troy Arts Council.”

Hopper said he is excited to be able to announce Brenda Campbell as the JCA executive director.

“There is no doubt that Brenda is the one who can help us move the arts forward at the JCA and in Troy,” he said. “She understands the value of the arts in a community and what the goals of the JCA and the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center are and what it is going to take for us to reach and exceed those goals. Brenda is going to be a team player and a leader of the arts in Troy.”

Campbell said she in honored to have been selected as the JCA executive director and is looking forward to going to work.

Although Campbell is not a native of Troy, she considers herself one having lived in Troy since 1976, when she enrolled at Troy State as a freshman.

“In my career, I enjoyed working for retail establishments in Troy, including Leon’s and  Rosenberg’s,” Campbell said. “There, I was able to establish relationships with people from different walks of life throughout the community.”

Most of Campbell’s professional years have been spent working at Troy University. After her retirement as director of graduate admissions in 2014, she has continued to work at the university as adjunct professor as well as doing contract work with Auburn University Montgomery and Judson College.

“Although I have no working background in the arts, I believe I have skills that will be beneficial to the Johnson Center for the Arts,” she said. “One of the greatest compliments I have ever received was that I know how to work. I’m a self-starter who is willing to jump in where I’m needed.”

Campbell said fundraising is a strong suit for her and she is looking forward to working with the public in that area.

“I’m honored to have been selected as executive director of the JCA,” she said. “I realize the value of the arts and the role the arts play in Troy. I’m looking forward to being a part of the arts and excited to be working with such a talent and dedicated JCA staff. I am grateful for this opportunity and ready to get started.”