Derrith Bondurant
General Director

Music has always been a part of Derrith's life. From singing Puccini's O Mio Babbino Caro at Miss Mississippi 1980 to "The National Anthem" at Texas Stadium to her Longview Community Theatre performances as Marion in The Music Man and Sister Sarah in Guys & Dolls, Derrith has entertained thousands.

Combining a career of singing and marketing, Derrith began as a music major and continued with master's degree work in Speech Communication and a Graduate Assistantship in Public Relations at the University of Southern Mississippi. Since that time she has worked with such musical notables as Bobby Vinton and The Osmonds and served as marketing director for their theaters in Branson, Missouri.

Prior to Branson, she served six state governors and tourism directors as Executive Director of "America's Heartland," promoting international tourism to the United States. Derrith also represented Texas at the World Economic Summit and served on the Texas Committee for the World's Fair in Seville, Spain. She recently served as Chairman of "Light Up Longview" and "Christmas at the Courthouse" and was the first executive director of East Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse.

Most recently she performed with the Longview Community Theatre as Anna in "The King and I" and as a soloist in Mobberly Baptist Church's "Seven Last Words." She is also a member of Opera America and Metropolitan Opera Guild. She continues to share her musical talent through numerous groups, including her Christian music ministry.