Count Basie Appoints New CEO for Dual Roles

In a departure from the past several years, the 's Board of Trustees has opted to merge the Basie and its Foundation under a new leadership structure being headed by Rumson resident Justine Robertson.

The theater made the announcement of Robertson's hiring on Thursday. She will serve as CEO of both entities in an interim position. 

According to Ray Moser, chairman of the board of trustees said unifying the leadership of the two organizations under a CEO will help the theater better integrate programming, operations and fundraising, he said in a release.

Robertson's bio, supplied by the Basie:

A lifelong resident of Rumson, Ms. Robertson received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and her MBA from Rutgers. From 1994 to 2010 she was the Owner and Executive Director of the Webster Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut. During her tenure, the 1937 art deco movie theatre was renovated into a performance venue with a capacity of 1,350, becoming central Connecticut’s premier live entertainment venue winning multiple awards from live entertainment publications. She is also a Certified Public Accountant, and has worked as a Tax Manager for KPMG Peat Marwick and a Tax Director for Metromedia Telecommunications. She has enjoyed charitable and volunteer work for local organizations including the Visiting Nurse Association, the Mental Health Association, and Special Olympics. She has served as Governor and Quartermaster of the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club and Treasurer for the Long Bay Villas Owner Association.

Previous Basie CEO Numa Saisselin will remain with the theater in the role of Chief Operating Officer. Saisselin, the Count Basie Theatre's CEO since 2002, will continue his responsibilities with the operation, programming and restoration of the theater, according to a release.

Robertson will assume the new dual role July 2.

"After working in the corporate world, even the hard days working on the resurrection of the Webster Theatre were a joy, but whenever I was on my way up to Hartford, I wished there was an opportunity to pursue this passion closer to home," Robertson said in a statement. "I am thrilled to have an opportunity to help the Count Basie Theatre work towards fulfilling its recently updated Strategic Plan, and work towards finishing the theatre’s restoration."