HOBOKEN, NJ, January 07, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Nancy Kassak Diekmann with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Ms. Diekmann celebrates many years' experience in her professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Diekmann recently retired in 2020 as the director of finance at the Manhattan Country School in New York City after 12 years in her position. A private co-educational school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the Manhattan Country School also offers a farm in Roxbury, New York. Possessing a former background in the arts and entertainment industry that stems back 35 years, Ms. Diekmann first became interested in the arts while in college. After graduating with her bachelor's degree, she obtained a position as the managing director of the New England Repertory Theatre in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1973. Six years later, she received an offer as the administrative director for the Theatre Communications Group in Manhattan and then as the managing director of the New York Theatre Workshop until 1997. Ultimately, Ms. Diekmann left her theatre work behind to form a foundation as the executive director of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation in New York City. However, after an 11-year tenure and budget restraints, she transitioned into education.
Renowned for her expertise in the arts, Ms. Diekmann most notably produced the Tony, Obie, and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "RENT" during her years with artistic director Jim Nicola at New York Theatre Workshop. In the very beginning, the theatre did not have enough funds to produce the show and were unsure how successful the rock musical would be. Securing the involvement of several other producers, Ms. Diekmann also convinced them to make substantial donations to support the show. First seen in a workshop production at New York Theatre Workshop in 1993, "RENT" has since become wildly successful as one of the longest-running shows on Broadway, grossing over $280 million.
Grateful to have several wonderful mentors along the way, particularly Jon Knowles, an artistic director who first introduced Ms. Diekmann to theatre work, she is also thankful to the support of Steven Graham. A trustee and the first managing director of the Workshop, Mr. Graham was someone on whom she leaned for leadership support and expertise. Further, she would be remiss if she did not acknowledge the support of Roxanne Elings, an attorney and dear friend who served as a board chairman and vice chairman for Manhattan Country School for many years. Ms. Diekmann supervised the design and construction of buildings for both New York Theatre Workshop and Manhattan Country School, and is grateful for the friendship of the architects who led the way for those projects, Mitchell Kurtz and Andrew Bartle Associates.
During her career, Ms. Diekmann served as chairman of the theatre panel of the New York State Council on the Arts and on the planning and stabilization panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. She was also a board member and treasurer of the business affairs council for the New York State Association of Independent Schools. She was president of the New York chapter of the Association of Non-Profit Theatre Companies for many years.
Giving back to her community, Ms. Diekmann has supported the Trevor Day School in New York City as treasurer and the Stevens Cooperative School in Hoboken, New Jersey, as board chairman. Ms. Diekmann is an alumnus of Clark University in Massachusetts, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in 1974. While pursuing her degree, she oversaw the school's theater club.
In 1991, Ms. Diekmann was the recipient of an Obie Award, an off-Broadway award from The Village Voice newspaper, an annual honor given to theatre artists and groups in New York City. A celebrated Marquis listee, she has been showcased in the 49th edition of Who's Who in America, the second edition of Who's Who in Entertainment, the 25th edition of Who's Who in the East, and the 18th through 21st editions of Who's Who of American Women.
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