Executive Team
Jason Parker, Artistic Director
Jason is the Director of Choirs and Drama at Squalicum High School and has held this post since his move to the great Pacific Northwest in 2015. In the theatre world, he remains busy directing all mainstage productions, advising the Drama Club, and mentoring students who are directing one acts with their peers for the SQHS One Act Play Festival. Prior to his appointment at Squalicum, Jason served in various capacities in educational theatre including roles as Music Director, Pit Conductor, Technical Director, as well as Artistic Director. His experiences have given him a broad view of educational theatre and its benefits for students. As our Artistic Director, Jason oversees the “Big Picture” and focuses on music, acting, staging, and choreography. He believes in the power of theatre through an educational process and is proud to bring together students from across the Bellingham School District for summer collaboration. He is a founding member of SMTI.
Connie Campbell, Music Director
Connie is excited to join the SMTI team with more than 20 musical productions under her belt. She is the Director of Choirs at Bellingham High School and was the Vocal Director for BHS's 2019 production of "The Little Mermaid." Before coming to Bellingham, she served for 10 years as the Director of Choirs at Woodland Park High School in Colorado, where she produced and directed 10 Madrigal Dinners and was the Musical Director for 20 musicals. Connie holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Northern Arizona University, and a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Miami, where she worked with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe. Connie has loved musical theater since the 4th grade, when her children’s choir was included in a university production of “Oklahoma!” She caught the theater bug, even though she ended up taking her bows with only one shoe. In addition to musical direction in the public schools, Connie has served as music director for community, college repertory, and children’s church productions. She is a founding member of SMTI.
Tim Reinholtz, Technical Director
Tim has been a science teacher at Squalicum High School since 2007 and has served as the school’s Head Theater Technician since 2019. He is a professional member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and the Educational Theatre Association (ETA). Tim brings many technical talents to SMTI. He loves using the science behind audio- and light engineering to achieve artistic effect. He is very familiar with standard construction practices, such as carpentry, plumbing, and welding. He has worked as an electrician and is a certified rigger, which means he can safely build various load-bearing systems for the stage, knowledge he also used frequently in the decade he spent volunteering for Search and Rescue in Colorado. As our Technical Director, Tim oversees the scenic, sound, and lighting design of the shows. He is a founding member of SMTI.
Jen Lois, Managing Director
Jen has been a sociology professor at Western Washington University since 2000, teaching courses in gender, emotions, and identity. She developed an adult-onset musical-theatre obsession when she saw the Lion King from the front row on Broadway in 2006. Her appreciation greatly expanded when her daughter began performing in youth shows and community theatre and she got to see behind the scenes. Since then, she’s seen over 100 musicals, from traveling Broadway productions to community theatre to high school shows. If you sing it, she will come! As our Managing Director, Jen coordinates the moving parts of each production, such as registration, scheduling, publicity, and front-of-house duties. She is a founding member of SMTI.
Affiliated Arts Educators
Marina "MC" Clever, Choreographer
Marina Clever is a choreographer and teaching artist based out of Bellingham and Seattle. Previous choreography credits include Squalicum High School's Big Fish, Sehome High School's Cinderella, and WWU-based dance group SINI-HHA.
Sam Grubbs, Choreographer
Sam Grubbs is a dance teacher and choreographer out of Seattle and Bellingham. She is a recent graduate of Western Washington University with degrees in dance and English and is currently pursuing her master's in teaching! After high school, she had to leave the world of musical theatre to explore modern dance, but she is so excited to be back in action with Squalicum Musical Theatre Institute!
Community Team Leaders
We also invite members of the community to inquire about sharing their expertise in our productions! As with arts educators, we hope these community relationships grow into long-lasting partnerships. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working on a particular show!