(MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse has announced the election of six individuals to its Board of Trustees. These new members will add their expertise and knowledge to the theatre's 30-member Board. Joining the Board of Trustees are: Paula Alston, Sofia Cocoziello, Rick Davis, Meghan Farly-Astrachan, Josh Jacobstein, and Beth Vartuli.

“We are thrilled to have this distinguished group of leaders from our community bringing their talents to the Paper Mill Board” said Debbie Kennedy and Jesse Hermann, co-chairs of the Committee on Trustees, in a joint statement. “As Paper Mill prepares for its next phase of growth, we look forward to their participation, collaboration and sharing their ideas and experience.”

Paula Alston is the Vice President at Merck, where she oversees Real Estate and Facilities Management Operations. In this role, she is responsible for managing a substantial budget of $1.3 billion annually and leading over 650 employees across more than 220 locations worldwide. 

Sofia Cocoziello managed the largest global debt customer of GE Commercial Finance, underwriting all real estate product types, and overseeing eight accounts representing $1.7B of debt financing. During her ten years at GE, she helped her clients develop significant projects that enhanced communities and created jobs in underserved areas throughout Latin America 

Rick Davis is the President and CEO of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) in Livingston and has over 25 years of executive management experience in health care finance and operations. 

Meghan Farly-Astrachan is an artist and educator and has performed and studied all over the world. She is the former Director of Drama and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at the Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School; is the Founder and Artistic Director of Andromeda Theatre in New York, NY; and has served as an Adjunct Professor at NYU.

Josh Jacobstein is the President of Rose Brand, a theatrical fabric, custom drapery, digital printing, theatrical track systems, and production supplier to the entertainment and event industries. 

Beth Vartuli is co-founder and former co-owner of American Linehaul Corporation, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company until the company became a subsidiary of Pilot and then sold to Maersk in 2022.

Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Executive Director). A beloved New Jersey arts institution since 1938, Paper Mill creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and reimagined classics. Several productions have gone on to Broadway and launched national tours, including The Great Gatsby, Disney’s Newsies, Bandstand, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Les Misérables (25th Anniversary production).

The theater is also the home to an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact thousands of students each year. As one of the nation’s premier musical theaters, Paper Mill fosters a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion, and provide access for all. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.