Park City, UT — Sundance Institute Executive Director Keri Putnam announced the appointment of Sarah Pearce and Laurie Hopkins to the positions of Co-Managing Directors of the Institute. Reporting to Putnam and based in Park City, Utah, Hopkins and Pearce will share duties as internal and external leaders of the organization, each with distinct areas of responsibility. In addition, Brooke McAffee has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Sundance Institute.  The internal promotions take effect on January 1, 2013 and come as Jill Miller leaves her role as Managing Director after more than 20 years with the Institute.

	Laurie Hopkins		Sarah Pearce

Putnam said, “During their tenures at Sundance Institute, Sarah and Laurie have played critical roles in the success, growth and stability of the organization. We look forward to the deep experience, professionalism, leadership, and continued commitment to the Sundance mission they will bring to their new roles at the Institute. As we say goodbye to Jill Miller and recognize her many valuable contributions to Sundance, we are grateful that she has developed and mentored such strong successors.”

Sundance Institute Utah Advisory Board Chair Rory Murphy, said “As someone who has been involved with Sundance Institute for nearly a decade, I am especially pleased to welcome Sarah and Laurie into these leadership roles. Not only are they both extremely dedicated and capable professionals but they bring with them a deep understanding of and commitment to the Institute and the Utah Community.”

Sundance Institute Board of Trustee Treasurer, Jack Ferraro, commented “the Utah-based management team plays a critical role in the stewardship of the health of this not-for-profit organization.  Laurie and Sarah have clearly demonstrated their sound management skills and commitment to responsible growth of Sundance Institute; we could not be more pleased to see them promoted to role of Co-Managing Directors.”

As Co-Managing Director, Administration, Laurie Hopkins will have oversight of long- and short-term organizational planning and metrics, legal, and office administration as well as finance and human resources. Hopkins joined Sundance Institute in 2006 and was most recently Director of Budgeting and Administration, where she oversaw the Institute’s annual operating budget, as well as foundation and government grant analysis. She has 15 years of experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, having worked for Powdr Corporation, First Security Corporation in Salt Lake City, and the Office of Policy and Analysis, FCA, in Washington, D.C. Hopkins is Treasurer of the Summit County Public Arts Advisory Board and is a former Grand County Travel Council chair. Her new direct reports will include McAffee and Julie Freestone, Director, Human Resources.

Sarah Pearce, as Co-Managing Director, Operations and Utah Community Relations, will oversee all Program operations for the organization, including the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance London film and music festival, and the Institute’s Lab operations. As Director of Operations for the Sundance Film Festival, Pearce has supervised and led Festival operations for more than 13 years. For two years Pearce served on the Motion Picture Advisory Committee for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for the State of Utah and currently serves on the Park City Chamber Board.  She has also been a consultant to CineVegas Film Festival in Las Vegas, the Dubai International Film Festival and the Sundance Preserve. Pearce’s new direct reports will include Eva Rinaldi, Associate Director Lab Operations and Sarah West, Director of Utah Community Development.

In addition to her current duties with the finance team, newly named Chief Financial Officer, Brooke McAffee’s role will be expanded to include oversight of the annual operating budget.  McAffee joined Sundance Institute as Director of Finance in 2005 after five years in accounting at Arthur Andersen LLP; she has over fourteen years of finance and accounting experience working for both profit and not-for-profit entities. McAffee also volunteers for the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants   

Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global, nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to nurturing artistic expression in film and theater, and to supporting intercultural dialogue between artists and audiences. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to unite, inform and inspire, regardless of geo-political, social, religious or cultural differences. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival and its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America . Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.