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Mike Audet is the president of First Look Buffalo Theatre Company. Following a successful career as an executive in the real estate technology sector, Mike co-founded the WAV Group in 2003, which has become of the most successful real estate consulting firms in the country. An avid singer/songwriter/musician, Mike also serves as a director on Music is Art .

Joel Husvar – Vice President

Joel is the Vice President of First Look Buffalo Theatre Company. Being born and raised in the Town of Tonawanda. Mr. HusVar has seen the rebirth of Buffalo firsthand. He knew he wanted to be a part of the growth of Western New York as long as he could remember. He found real estate was the perfect way to make a change. Real Estate has become a true passion of Joel’s. Joel is the founder of HusVar Real Estate, Past President of the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors, and a director of the New York State Association of Realtors. Joel brings over 10 years of experience to our community. Joel also has been active in Realtor Lobby Day in Albany for multiple years. This has provided Joel the opportunity to directly speak to senators and assemblymen about issues that directly impact home ownership in Western New York. In addition to real estate, Joel has a passion for the arts and enriching the Western NY theatre community, which brought him to First Look Buffalo Theatre Company.

Luigi Rodo – Treasurer

Susan Rusch-Oconnell - Secretary

Susan has been a board member of First Look Buffalo since its official start in January 2022. Her desire is to make the art of theater available to all age groups and economic tiers. Susan has worked for a variety of business corporations and self-owned companies, including General/Operations manager for The Gap/ Old Navy, buyer and management positions for a variety of retail venues, loan officer and mortgage broker, real estate agent and currently she is an assistant manager for Robert Basil Buick GMC Cadillac in Orchard Park, NY.

 

Susan has vast experience working for non-for-profit organizations, including a board member of ActsMetro in Columbia, SC from 2008-2014. She has been a mentor to families in crisis, a leader of Act Teens and Girls in Action/ girls organizations (2000-2006) among

 

several other mission and outreach projects throughout her life. She currently lives in Dunkirk NY with her husband Billy. They have 2 daughters and 7 grandchildren.

Hayley Davis

Hayley Davis, currently the Director of Development at L&G Research and Evaluation Consulting, has a robust background in nonprofit development and additional experience in public policy. Hayley holds an MPH in Public Health Nutrition and a BS in Community Health. Hayley earned her MPH while working full-time for nonprofits focused on food access, health equity, and positive youth development. Hayley also interned with Eric Adams supporting plant-based nutrition initiatives, and volunteered as a Policy Consultant, developing the Food Justice and Youth policy platforms for NYC Council District 11 Candidate. In 2021, Hayley was named one of the 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in NYC Food Policy. By leading fundraising and communications for nonprofit organizations, Hayley has leveraged millions of public and private dollars in support of community-based programming. Earlier in her career, Hayley served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for a nonprofit university where she developed and launched a free early college program for high school students across Brooklyn. Hayley serves on the Board of Directors of First Look Buffalo Theatre Company and as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Field & Fork Network, a New York State nonprofit which connects communities to affordable fresh food and farmers to new economic opportunities.

Harry Lipsitz

A Producer and Production Manager from Buffalo, NY; graduated from Point Park University with a B.A. in Cinema and Digital Art, concentrating in Producing.He is a proud humanitarian,
dedicated to the growth and prosperity of equality & diversity inside the film community.

He is ADDITIONALLY a proud owner and co-founder in Casting Buffalo LLC and the Co-Administrator at The Joseph Giambra Legacy Fund, and proudly sits on the board at First look Buffalo theater company.

Bob Rusch

Bob is the founder and former artistic director of SkyPilot Theatre Company in Los Angeles and is a co-founder and current artistic director for First Look Buffalo Theatre Company in Buffalo NY. He has produced over 30 productions, many of which were world premieres. Some of his favorite’s were KONG: A GODDAMN THIRTY FOOT GORILLA by Adam Hahn, WAR BRIDE by Samantha Macher, DETECTIVE PARTNER HERO VILLAIN by Brett Neveu and FURSONA NON GRATA by Jeff Goode. He also began teaching scene study and audition technique at Acting Studio 716 which he founded in 2016 in Buffalo NY.

 

As an actor, some of Bob’s favorite theatre roles are Mountain McClintock in REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT by Rod Serling, The Driver in HELLCAB by Will Kern, The Partner in DETECTIVE PARTNER HERO VILLAIN by Brett Neveu, Bernie in SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO by David Mamet and Ross in the 2014 World Premiere of RESET by Samantha Macher. While working in Los Angeles, Bob worked on such classic shows as WILL AND GRACE, ER, CROSSING JORDAN and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Bob is most known for playing Doyle McPoyle on the cult classic ITS ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA and the recurring character of Skeeter on the huge hit SONS OF ANARCHY. He also worked on many films including SAVING MR. BANKS, CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT, THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF WOLFBOY, WIDOW’S POINT and the critically acclaimed TOM OF YOUR LIFE directed by Jeremy Sklar.

 

When Bob is not acting or producing, he is very focused on helping people buy and sell homes all over WNY as a licensed real estate agent with HusVar Real Estate.