Dr. Deneen Plessala

Dr. Deneen Plessala was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Louisiana State University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. She continued her medical training at The Children’s Hospital of Alabama where she completed her pediatric internship and residency in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. After working in the pediatric clinics at the Jefferson County Health Department and the Mobile County Health Department, she joined Children’s Medical Group in Mobile, Alabama.

Dr. Plessala is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Innovative Medicine Partners, a research and development company specializing in medical devices, where she leads the research and development department. She is a patent holder and inventor of a novel medical device that deals with day-to-day patient care. Deneen is also the founder and sole proprietor of Deneen’s Designs, a clothing and monogramming design and manufacturing company.

Deneen has served on several nonprofit boards of directors, including the Junior League of Mobile where she served as Vice-President for Community Involvement and Project Development Director. In addition to the Azalea City Center for the Arts Board of Directors, she is also a member of the Hearin-Chandler YMCA Branch Advisory Council, St. Ignatius Catholic Church Parish Council, and the Board of Overseers of St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in southern Indiana.

Vincent Paragone

Mr. Paragone has been volunteering for community activities since high school when he coached and umpired baseball games for CYO. Mr. Paragone also served on the facilities planning committee for the Rockville Centre School district compiling recommendations and proposals to renovate and rebuild the school systems facilities. He also participated in multiple career day events bringing technology careers to the Middle School students of the district.

Mr. Paragone became involved with the Huntsville Community Chorus and served as Finance Committee Chair, Play Reading Chair, Computer Technologist, Arts Assembly Representative, Vice President and President. During that time, he was the Technical Director for 4 shows and appeared on stage in over 20 productions for many of the Theatre organizations in the North Alabama region. He volunteered with multiple schools in the Huntsville City School system as a Technical Theatre Director, Computer Consultant and chaired a Technical Advisory Committee for the superintendent. He also made keynote presentations on international business and use of computer tools you already own to improve classroom management to the Alabama Association of Foreign Language teachers.

As a businessman, Mr. Paragone has owned several successful business and has served in many executive management positions for multiple Fortune 500 companies where he participated in dozens of product design and assembly projects, resulting in over 30 Billion dollars in revenue. He participated in acquisitions and mergers of design and manufacturing facilities throughout Europe, Asia, and both the North and South Americas.

As a manager, he culminated his career overseeing over 400 direct employees and 8000 consultant teams at 11 design centers in 7 countries on 3 continents. In his early career, he became known throughout the Engineering community as the “Go To Guy” to get projects back on track and through successful completion.

David White

David has been playing music ever since he received his first drum set  at age twelve. Studying under Dr. John Papastefan, he received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Alabama in Percussion Performance before going on to study at the University of North Texas with world-renowned jazz drummer, Ed Soph. In addition, David has studied privately with jazz great, Jim Chapin and jazz/funk pioneer, Mike Clark.

David has performed with the Port City Symphony, The Gulf Coast Symphony and the Mobile Symphony. He has also played drums and percussion for over forty musicals and performed all over the Gulf Coast with numerous rock, jazz, big band, blues and country bands.

In addition to teaching drums and percussion at Full Scale School of Music, David also teaches at the University of Mobile and St. Paul’s Episcopal School. David has been teaching since 2001 and performs regularly with the Mobile Big Band Society, ChipJazz5, Dayspring Baptist Church, Joe Jefferson Playhouse, Mobile Theatre Guild, Chickasaw Civic Theatre, Sunny Side Theater, The Back Pew Riders and at Dahlia’s Electric Piano Parlor.

Kelsey Davis Betz

Katie Wilson

Jessica Head

Carrie Russell

Bailey Belanger

Lauren Ramsay

Kelsey is a journalist who writes about education in Mississippi. As a child, she played a villain's daughter in If the Shoe Fits - the first production to be put on by the Paragone's summer drama camp, which would over the next two decades evolve into Azalea City Center for the Arts. Years later she took her first job in high school helping the Paragone family establish their first full-time theater business. 

Katie Wilson was one of the original campers at Drama Camp in the summer of 2002, and she went on to participate for several summers as both a camper and a counselor. She has loved watching Drama Camp, as well as Sunny Side Theater and the Azalea City Center for the Arts, expand and develop over the years. Katie is excited to see the Azalea City Center for the Arts provide an environment that will aid in enhancing self-confidence and personal growth, both things she gained from Drama Camp way back when.

Katie grew up in Mobile, studied civil engineering at the University of Notre Dame, and now works in Atlanta as a project manager for one of the nation's largest general contractors. She loves having the opportunity to be a part of building and shaping communities, and is thrilled to play a part in this addition to her hometown.

Jessica Head (Board Vice President and Secretary) is the IT Administrative Coordinator for Infirmary Health. She graduated with her M.A. in Communication (2015) and her B.A. in Public Relations (2013) from the University of South Alabama. A native of Mobile, her passion in life has always been performance. She has been in numerous community theater shows around the Mobile area starting in 2011. She is also on the board of directors for Joe Jefferson Playhouse, a local community theater. She has years of experience in fundraising and organizational communication to give to the Azalea City Center for the Arts. The Center holds a special place in her heart and she is thrilled to be able to serve on their inaugural board of directors.

Carrie Russell is a practicing CPA with local firm Russell Thompson Butler & Houston. She has two daughters, both of whom have a long history with Sunny Side Theater. Morgan the oldest is a junior at Univ of Alabama and Andrea is a senior at McGill Toolen high school. Both girls participated in the theater program and worked behind the scenes for the Azalea City Center for the Arts. Carrie is excited to continue the tradition of involvement with Center.

Bailey Belanger graduated form Auburn with a Master’s Degree in Counseling in 2018. Bailey is a Mobile native who played Cinderella in the very first Drama Camp play in 2002. Upon moving to Tennessee, Bailey continued her love for theater and acted in shows throughout her high school career. After graduating from Auburn, Bailey moved to Los Angeles where she currently attends acting workshops while working on other freelance projects.

Lauren Ramsey is a native of Mobile and a long time resident of Spanish Fort, Alabama. She is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and worked in the insurance industry for over twenty years. She is married to Craig and has 3 children: Ryan, Caroline, and William. Her daughter performed with Sunny Side for many years and was a member of their competition team. She has seen first hand the positive impact of theater education on children and the lifelong benefits it can provide.