What's New at Starlight Theatre
In April 2023, Lindsey Rood-Clifford became the first woman to serve as President and CEO for the Starlight Theatre Association of Kansas City, Inc. in its nearly 75-year history. Starlight is an 8,000-seat outdoor amphitheater that presents nationally touring and locally produced Broadway, a national concert series each summer, and provides arts access, community engagement, and education programming. Prior to her current role, Lindsey served as Chief Operating Officer and Starlight’s Vice President of Philanthropy, leading philanthropic efforts for Kansas City’s oldest and largest continually operating performing arts venue. Under her leadership, Starlight’s philanthropic revenue expanded by more than 50% and the organization launched its largest capital campaign in more than 20 years - a $40 million dollar fundraising effort to support capital improvements and programming expansions in time for the World Cup in Kansas City in 2026 and Starlight's 75th anniversary. A lifelong arts enthusiast and advocate, Lindsey believes that access to meaningful arts experiences is an essential element of healthy, thriving communities and to developing skilled, engaged, and empathetic students and adults.
A direct recipient of impactful arts programming, Lindsey began her professional career as a paid summer intern at Starlight before serving as a consultant for nonprofit and corporate clients in events and fundraising in the Greater Kansas City region and across the country as part of Starlight’s subsidiary.
Lindsey is the Immediate Past President for the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; Secretary of the Centurions Alumni Board; a Vice President of the Board of Directors for Grace, a foundation dedicated to providing safe sober housing and normalizing recovery; and a past chair of Kansas City’s National Philanthropy Day. She is a 2017 graduate of the KC Chamber’s Centurions Leadership Program. She was named by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of “20 Nonprofit Leaders to Know” in 2022; one of In Kansas City Magazine's "Innovators and Influencers" in 2023; one of the Independent Magazine's "Rising Stars" in 2024; and one of the Kansas City Business Journal’s “NextGen Leaders” in 2024. She has appeared on several podcasts including “There’s Just Something about Kansas City,” “Speak with Presence,” “Show Me Today” and “KC Leaders.”
Lindsey grew up in Kansas City and lives in the metro with her husband and son. She has three children - two grown stepdaughters and a very active high school sophomore who keeps her and her husband running with his active love of the theatre, music, debate, and Scouts.