It is with great sadness we report that Sherry Wagner-Henry has passed away of complications following major surgery on May 30, 2020. Sherry was a member and leader of USITT for over 20 years, serving as the founding Chair of Arts Management, as a member of and secretary of the Board of Directors, and as a member of numerous committees. She was a dedicated and innovative leader in education for arts management, and created the Board Mentorship and Leadership program in 2012.
 
Sherry was a graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in Music and Public Relations. She obtained a MBA in Arts Administration there after a fellowship at Columbia College in Arts and Entertainment Management.
 
She began her career in arts administration at the University of Minnesota as the Managing Director of the University Theater and Dance programs and as Executive Director of the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. She then became the faculty director of the Master of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership (ACL), a program that she founded in the College of Continuing Education.
 
Since 2012 Sherry was Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, managing their Arts Management MBA program within the Wisconsin School of Business.  In addition, since 2018 she directed the University’s Campus Arts and Business Initiatives and launched an MA program in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership. She was Co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Alliance for Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) and was a founding member of SortSol, a private arts consulting firm.
 
She leaves behind her husband, Brent “Mickey” Henry and son Zhen, sister Peggy Wagner, parents Al and Pat Wagner and parents-in-law Stephen and Linda Henry
 
A Memorial site has been created to honor her by some of her many friends.
 
To quote her son Zhen, “This was not in the plan”, and if you knew Sherry in any capacity, she always had a plan.

To commemorate her significant contributions to the arts and arts administration education, USITT is accepting donations in memory of Sherry. Click here to donate.