Staff & Leadership

Manager of Programs and Services

Deonté Griffin-Quick, a New Jersey native, is an actor, singer, and arts administrator who is committed to the advancement and diversity of American Theatre. Deonté joined the NJTA team as an intern in December of 2016 and was enthused to continue his work with the Alliance as the Marketing and Communications Assistant before becoming the Manager of Programs and Services. 

Before joining the Alliance staff, Deonté was afforded the opportunity to complete internships with several NJ theatres including New Jersey Repertory Company and Premiere Stages. In 2018, Deonté served as a grant review panelist for Alternate ROOTS (Atlanta, GA) to review applications for Partners in Action, a program that fosters and funds social justice partnerships with progressive activist artists from all artistic disciplines in grassroots communities across the U.S. Southern Region. He has also worked with the organization to facilitate workshops focused on equity, diversity, and anti-oppression. From 2018-2019 he served as the State Coordinator of New Jersey Poetry Out Loud, working with New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

In April of 2019, Deonté received the "Outstanding Achievement in the Arts" award from the Urban League of Union County Young Professionals. Deonté holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with a Communication minor from Kean University and is a candidate for membership of the Actor's Equity Association. As a performer, Deonté has performed at The Prudential Center, Enlow Recital Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the world-renowned Apollo Theater in Harlem, Premiere Stages, Luna Stage Company, New Jersey Repertory Company, and on Fox 5 Good Day NY. 

Executive Director

John McEwen has served as the Executive Director of New Jersey Theatre Alliance since 2001.

Prior to the Alliance, John served as Vice President for Development of the New Jersey Network Foundation where he was responsible for providing the leadership for an annual fund goal of more than $7 million in support of NJN Public Television and Radio’s programs and services. Prior to joining NJN, John served as the Director of Development for Paper Mill Playhouse where he oversaw all fundraising activities, long-range planning, and board development.  John provided the leadership for Paper Mill’s successful $10 million capital campaign.

In 1992, McEwen developed the Cultural Access Network Project, a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and New Jersey Theatre Alliance, for which he received the inaugural Leadership Award in Access from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. John serves as a trustee of ArtPride NJ andFund for the New Jersey Blind. John has served as an adjunct professor in arts management at Seton Hall University, Drew University, and New York University.

John has consulted numerous organizations on board development, long-range planning, fundraising, and cultural access. He received a BA from Montclair State University and an MA from New York University.

John is a graduate of Leadership/New Jersey and was selected as one of 50 nonprofit arts leaders to participate in the Executive Program for Nonprofit Arts Leaders at Stanford University, a partnership of Stanford and National Arts Strategies.

When John is not attending the theatre, he enjoys cooking, collecting glass art, and anything to do with the water—boating, sun bathing, swimming.