2026 -- H 8615

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LC003540

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING J. L. "LYNN" SINGLETON ON HIS RETIREMENT AS PRESIDENT

AND CEO OF THE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (PPAC) AND

THANKING HIM FOR THE SUCCESS THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED UNDER HIS

LEADERSHIP

     Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Carson, Chippendale, Kazarian,
Kennedy, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, Tanzi, and Bennett

     Date Introduced: June 04, 2026

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, J. L. "Lynn" Singleton joined the Providence Performing Arts Center as

Executive Director in May of 1983, and under his renowned leadership, transformed it from near

bankruptcy into one of the foremost not-for-profit theatres in North America, and currently the

second largest theatre of its kind in New England, with a seating capacity of 3,100; and

     WHEREAS, Over the course of Mr. Singleton’s forty-three tenure with PPAC, the

number of events at the venue have more than tripled and attendance has increased to over

350,000 patrons annually; and

     WHEREAS, Through Mr. Singleton’s vision and thriving fundraising, PPAC has

regained its historic splendor, and through a nearly $8 million stagehouse expansion project,

amazing shows such as The Phantom of the Opera, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, Disney’s The

Lion King, Wicked, Les Misérables, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, A Beautiful Noise: The

Neil Diamond Musical, and Jersey Boys, to name but a few, have been performed to the delight

of audiences from Rhode Island and throughout New England, with a total of 24 national tours

launched or opened at PPAC since 2008; and

     WHEREAS, PPAC is located in the heart of Providence’s arts and entertainment district,

and has consistently delivered an economic boost to the City of Providence and the State of

Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Upon his retirement from PPAC, Mr. Singleton will remain in his current

position as President and CEO of Professional Facilities Management (PFM), Inc., which has

contracts with 10 venues in 6 states; and

     WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Mr. Singleton has earned a plethora of awards and

recognitions including Providence Business News “Driving Force” designation in the Rhode

Island business community in 2011, 2016, and 2021. He has also received Trinity Repertory

Company’s Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts in 2012, the John Hazen White,

Sr. Leadership in the Arts Award in 2018, the inaugural Providence Renaissance Award for

Highest Achievement in the Arts, was inducted into The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in

2023, and was a WaterFire Providence Fireball Honoree for Civic Impact in 2025. He is also a

voting member of the Tony Awards, and received an Emmy Award for Best Art Direction for a

Variety or Music Program for the play Peter Pan; and

     WHEREAS, Lynn Singleton has been acknowledged for his “outstanding vision and

leadership, which paved the way for PPAC to build on its previous foundation to become the

highly respected world-class venue that it is today” and while certainly well-deserved, his

retirement is an immeasurable loss to the Arts in Rhode Island; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

congratulates Lynn Singleton on the occasion of his retirement as President and CEO of PPAC.

We moreover wholeheartedly thank him for his years of dedication and for the success he has

brought to the arts, and the acclaim he has brought to our State; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. J. L. "Lynn" Singleton.

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