Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alum Allison Hogan ’17, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Musical Theatre, has been named Cultural Arts Director of the Crystal Lake Park District in Crystal Lake, Illinois – the largest park district in Illinois’ McHenry County.

In her new position, Hogan will run the CLPD’s theatre, musical theatre, dance, and music programs. Besides organizing performances and other events, she will be hiring and training new teachers to help run the community arts programs serving children and adolescents.

In addition to her work with CLPD, Hogan operates her own music school, Musical Owl, in her home town of Hampshire, Illinois. The studio employs eight teachers offering lessons in vocal and instrumental music, working in cooperation with the community’s elementary, middle, and high schools. Hogan also sings and plays keyboards in the rock band The Handsome Bandit. She also performed in the February 2015 concert production of the musical Parade at Lincoln Center in New York City, working under composer Jason Robert Brown.

“I’m so thankful to Columbia and my amazing professors who gave me me the confidence to go after what I love,” Hogan says. “I’m so excited to build up, and inspire our youth within our communities by sharing the beauty of the arts!”