OUR PEOPLE

Deborah Jung
Deborah teaching on stage

We are a musical theatre company for all ages. Obviously with a name like Kids Who Care, we are more than theatre. At the end of the day, what we produce are great kids! 

Deborah Jung

MEET THE Founder & Executive Director

Deborah Jung

Since 1989, Deborah has produced and directed tours of Kids Who Care Touring Company original musicals and KWC Performing Arts theatre productions.

The Kids Who Care Touring Company has performed in New York on Times Square and Off-Broadway, The Kennedy Center, Bass Hall, and Disneyland, Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in addition to more venues across the country, world, and even once at 30,000 feet on an American Airlines Wish Flight.

Deborah has directed many KWC main stage productions, including A Christmas Carol, West Side Story, A Christmas Story, Peter Pan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Godspell, Narnia, Wizard of Oz, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Under Deborah’s direction, KWC Performing Arts has also produced family concerts with Peter Yarrow, Trout Fishing in America, Sara Hickman, Inca Son, Eddie Coker, and Joseph Vincelli.

Deborah designed KidPower Leadership in 1993. This leadership model, originally designed for summer student leaders, has become an essential element for all leadership at KWC Performing Arts. As a consultant, she and the KWC staff now produce KidPower Leadership workshops for corporations, schools, and other nonprofits staffs and boards.

Prior to founding KWC Performing Arts, Jung was in the Resident Company at Casa Mañana Playhouse (1975-1989), where she directed and/or appeared in over 75 productions. She was the Company Manager for Fort Worth Shakespeare in the Park for ten years. During that time, Deborah created the Shakespeare Acting Institute and appeared onstage in Hamlet and Macbeth.

Deborah received her BA in Speech and Drama from Trinity University in San Antonio with a Secondary Certification for Speech and Drama with the Texas Education Agency. She is a member of Who’s Who, Mortar Board, the Live Theatre League, and the Rotary Club of Fort Worth. Most recently, Deborah was a recipient of the Fort Worth Business Press C-Suite Awards in 2019. She also was awarded The Heart of Gold Award from the Arts Council of Fort Worth (2018), the Legacy of Women Award for the Arts (2008), and was a Great Women of Texas honoree (2007).

Amanda began her KWC journey as a 5-year-old performer. Throughout her childhood, she expanded her involvement from performer to KidPower Leader and Board Member. She maintained her ties to KWC as a Resident Artist, songwriter, and alumni representative.
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Amanda Williams Ware

Development Director

Tracy's knowledge of Fort Worth serves her well at KWC. As she travels from community event to community event, she champions KWC and connects people every step of the way. Tracy previously worked for nearly 20 years in commercial real estate and was a longtime KWC volunteer.
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Tracy Cliburn

Community Engagement &
PR Director

Chad Jung has designed 300+ productions for opera, theatre, music, and dance worldwide. As a teacher and mentor, he is devoted to inspiring the next generation of young leaders. He is the Resident Lighting Designer for the Fort Worth Opera.
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Chad R. Jung

Production Manager

Rachel Williams

Business Operations Director

SYDNIE ROY

Associate Director of 
Touring Company & Education

Amy Johnson has been familiar with the KWC company for over 20 years. She is married to a KWC alumni and has volunteered with the company since her daughter joined in 2012. She is excited to be a part of the full-time staff.
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Amy Johnson

Office Manager

Sara Collins

Executive Administrative Assistant

Claudia Cruz

Accountant

Teaching Artists

  • Deborah Jung
  • Pam Adair
  • Lindsay Longacre
  • Amanda Williams Ware
  • Jule K. Howe
  • Amanda Flores

Associated Artists

KWC thrives on partnership and community. We’re grateful for the community we’ve built over the last 30 years with our Associated Artists. These talented individuals have used their skills to mentor and train young performers in everything from writing to scenic design, dance, composition and production.

BOARD of DIRECTORS

Kayla Kelly

Dr. Kayla S. Kelly

Board President
Tarleton State University

Kayla has been a volunteer with KWC since 2013. Currently, she is the Director of Community College Relations at Tarleton State University-Fort Worth. Kayla earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Tarleton State University, where she also completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Kayla and her husband, Heath, have two children and enjoy spending time camping and traveling.

  • Hayden Hill
    Board Treasurer
    BentOak Capital

  • Kimberly Buckley
    Board Secretary
    Freese & Nichols, Inc.

  • Marshall B. Robinson
    Board Donor Relations
    Critical Rental Solutions

  • Merell Banks
    J.P. Morgan Chase

  • Kent Dean
    Bobby Cox Companies

  • Jana Henthorn
    Community Volunteer

  • Rev. Allison Lanza
    Community Volunteer

  • Shannon Schumacher
    JTaylor

  • Colte Smith
    Remnant Financial

  • Ty Spinks
    DR Horton

  • Eva Williams
    Trinity Metro

ADVISORY BOARD

  • Mike O’Toole
    Chair
    Douglass Interior Products

  • Vernon E. Rew
    Chair
    Whitaker Chalk, PLLC

  • Jon Bonnell
    Bonnell’s, Waters, Buffalo Bros

  • Ignacio Cadena
    Black & Veatch Corp

  • Earl Cox
    Investments & Real Estate

  • Ginny Goodman
    Community Volunteer

  • Lorie Grandclair-Diaz
    Community Volunteer

  • Rev. Raul Gutierrez
    Western Hills UMC

  • Carrie Harrington
    Retired FWISD

  • Grant Harris
    Cook Children’s Health Foundation

  • Lori Henson
    Cuisine for Healing

  • John Killiany
    Red Lobster, Inc.

  • Sue Killiany
    Community Volunteer

  • Jack Larson
    Mellina & Larson, PC

  • Marty Leonard
    Community Volunteer

  • Honorable Mike Moncrief
    Fmr. Mayor of Fort Worth

  • Nancy Payton
    Community Volunteer

  • Gwen Perez
    Freese & Nichols, Inc.

  • Malissa Perkins Summers
    Oil & Gas Attorney

  • Clifton Thiebaud
    Dallas Marriot Las Colinas

  • Sue Turnage
    Happy State Bank

  • Karen Vermaire Fox
    Quindigo Management

  • Brook Whitworth
    Frost

  • Mike Wilkie
    Witherspoon Advertising

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