About fifteen years into a career as a high school teacher, Jo Ellen decided that what she really wanted to be when she grew up was a theatre artist. She took a break from the classroom to focus her full energy on the world of theatre. After earning an MFA in Directing from the University of Southern Mississippi, Jo Ellen settled in Charleston, SC where she directed and designed over two dozen productions for a variety of theatres. In 2012, she co-founded Storytree Children's Theatre, serving as their Artistic Director and Production Designer for four seasons. In August of 2017, she relocated to Elizabeth City, NC where she served two and a half years as Director for the School of the Arts at Arts of the Albemarle. Her work there included designing programming for youth and adult arts education, building outreach opportunities with local schools, and serving as Artistic Director for the youth theatre troupe The Center Players. Currently, Jo Ellen is an Instructional Coach at Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies. She teaches high school English and is the director of NEAAAT's theatre program.
Throughout her career, Jo Ellen has worked in a wide array of stage disciplines and has taught in a surprising range of educational settings.
