Darrell Rodenbaugh
Education	Washburn University University of Houston
Occupations	Nonprofit executive, arts administrator
Years active	2000–present
Organization	North Texas Performing Arts
Known for	CEO of North Texas Performing Arts
Spouse	Lisa Rodenbaugh
Children	2

Darrell Rodenbaugh is an American nonprofit executive, arts administrator, and former technology executive based in Plano, Texas. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of North Texas Performing Arts (NTPA), a nonprofit youth and community performing arts organization, since 2015 and his tenure has encompassed organizational restructuring, geographic expansion, and program development.^[1]

Rodenbaugh grew up on a farm near St. Marys, Kansas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics from Washburn University, where he participated in intercollegiate debate, was elected student body president, and was a member of Alpha Delta Fraternity. He later completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Houston. Rodenbaugh began doctoral studies in Education with a focus on organizational leadership at Rockhurst University, with an anticipated completion date in 2027.^[2]

Before entering nonprofit leadership, Rodenbaugh worked in the technology sector, including sales and management roles at IBM and regional sales leadership roles at Oracle. He later held senior sales and executive roles at i2 Technologies, Yahoo!, and McAfee, including a senior vice president position overseeing McAfee’s global mid-market business unit. After his technology career, Rodenbaugh co-founded a life-safety systems solutions company, which he and his wife later sold.^[3][4]

Rodenbaugh began volunteering with Plano Children’s Theatre in 2007 and joined its board of directors in 2010. In 2011, he was appointed acting executive director on a pro bono basis during a period of financial instability. He subsequently served eight consecutive terms as board president. Between 2015 and 2018, Rodenbaugh held dual roles as board president and operating executive, overseeing daily operations of the organization. In 2018, he stepped down from the governing board and assumed the full-time pro-bono role of chief executive officer. According to publicly available Internal Revenue Service Form 990 filings summarized by ProPublica, Rodenbaugh has served in the role without receiving compensation. As chief executive officer, Rodenbaugh has maintained direct operational responsibility for the organization’s growth and expansion, including the opening of permanent locations in Fairview, Frisco, Dallas and Southlake and the launch of programs such as Repertory Theatres, Deaf Theatre, Collegiate Pursuits, Community Theatre, Film Studios, Starcatcher Theatre, and expanded accessible theatre initiatives. During this period, the organization rebranded from Plano Children’s Theatre to North Texas Performing Arts, created the Ten Characters Leadership Model, and expanded programming.^[5][6]

During his tenure as chief executive officer, Rodenbaugh has been involved in the organization’s overall strategic direction, expansion, and operations across all programs and locations. In addition to organization-wide executive oversight, Rodenbaugh has been credited in organizational and media coverage with leading several major initiatives: NTPA Academy: Following the opening of the Willow Bend Center of the Arts in 2017, Rodenbaugh led parent focus-groups, and consultations with university admissions representatives and online academic providers. Launched in 2018, the Academy integrates performing arts instruction with accredited online academic coursework and experiential learning through rehearsal and production participation for grades 6-12. The program admitted its inaugural cohort of 50 students in fall 2018 and has continued to operate with limited enrollment and a hybrid academic model.^[7]

• NTPA Stardust Awards: The NTPA Stardust Awards are an annual performing arts recognition gala introduced in 2022 to honor artists, arts educators, volunteers, philanthropists, and organizations contributing to the performing arts ecosystem in North Texas. The event recognizes both professional and community-based contributions to theatre and arts education and serves as a regional platform for highlighting excellence across multiple disciplines. Awards and recognition are also bestowed to NTPA volunteers. The Stardust Awards also function as a major fundraising event for NTPA, with proceeds supporting needs-based scholarships for underserved youth and underwriting organizational operations and capital initiatives.

• COVID-19 response and virtual programming: In March 2020, Rodenbaugh oversaw the suspension of in-person activities following statewide emergency declarations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Within days, NTPA transitioned classes and rehearsals to online platforms and launched a centralized virtual initiative known as the “Performing Arts Virtual Giga-Center.” During the shutdown period, the organization developed and delivered more than 100 online classes, workshops, rehearsals, and camps. Rodenbaugh convened a volunteer COVID-19 task force composed of medical, legal, and education professionals, which developed reopening protocols and public health guidance to make possible its reopening.

• STARS Youth Protection Program: In 2025, Rodenbaugh authored the STARS Youth Protection Program, an organization-wide safety framework establishing standards related to background checks, training requirements, supervision practices, behavioral expectations, and reporting protocols for suspected misconduct or abuse.

• Willow Bend Center of the Arts: Rodenbaugh served as Project Executive in the establishment of the Willow Bend Center of the Arts, a 26,000 square foot four-theatre complex which opened in Plano, Texas, in December 2017 as North Texas Performing Arts’ headquarters and primary performance venue. Rodenbaugh led lease negotiations and construction planning efforts, and assisted in fundraising efforts led by Sara Akers. He also created the volunteer “Team of Steel” which constructed elements of the facility.

• Scrooge – The Musical: Since 2011, Rodenbaugh has performed annually in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge – The Musical, North Texas Performing Arts’ holiday production based on A Christmas Carol. The production originated as a board team-building effort, and evolved into a recurring annual program, and its 2025 cast exceeded 150 adult and youth performers. Media coverage in 2025 noted that Rodenbaugh’s continuous portrayal of the role represented the longest uninterrupted run by an actor portraying Scrooge in a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol in Texas.^[8]

Rodenbaugh has received regional recognition for arts leadership from organizations including the Obelisk Award from the Business Council for the Arts and the “Love of Art” Award from the ArtCentre of Plano. During his tenure as chief executive officer, North Texas Performing Arts received the Arts Education Award from the Business Council for the Arts. He has participated as a panelist at the Collaborative Arts of Plano’s annual “State of the Arts” forum and has appeared in regional media coverage related to arts education and nonprofit leadership.

Rodenbaugh is married to Lisa Rodenbaugh, an arts administrator and longtime volunteer with North Texas Performing Arts. Their two children participated in NTPA programs during their youth, their son an attorney in Chicago, Illinois and their daughter a doctor in Houston, Texas.

• Board of Trustees, Washburn University
• Alpha Delta Fraternity Alumni Board of Directors
• Boyscouts of America (Assistant Scoutmaster)