“Oh, it doesn’t mean that I wasn’t acutely aware of it going into
this business,” she said. “The second thing that helped me, and cush- professional experience with Sporty Jeralds, who also didn’t look like people who were working in the industry at the time.” Erwin’s career blossomed further as she stayed in the SMG family
as event services manager at the Time-Union Center for the Per- eastern seaboard.
“Sporty called and said he knew of an opportunity in Dallas,” Erwin said. “It was an event services manager position at Reunion Arena.” That move led to Erwin transitioning over to the new American
Airlines Center in Dallas in 2001, where she worked with current IAVM president and CEO Brad Mayne, CVE, as he opened the new venue that hosted the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and Dallas Stars of the NHL. “Incredible experience,” Erwin said. “It was a new company and
an environment that was all about creating and change and em- bracing all those things. As a young person in the industry with lots of ideas, it was a fertile ground to work in that environment. I was charged with looking at the service culture and how we could syn- ergize.” Erwin’s position evolved from event services manager to director
of guest services, a job she performed remarkably well as the venue was recognized by the NBA as the top arena for customer service in Erwin returned to Jacksonville in 2002 at the Times-Union Cen- ter and stayed there until 2005 when the Fox Theatre opportunity presented itself. She was aware of the history of the venue, knew it diverse programming mix. She started as assistant general manager before her promotions brought her to her current level. Erwin is proud to say that the Fox has evolved over the years and maintains a young and creative environment that is open to ideas. She understands what the venue means to the community when it was basically saved from the wrecking ball in 1975. “Rock and roll saved the Fox Theatre,” Erwin said. “Remember, it was an old movie palace and because that era started to die out as multi-plex theaters opened and sprouted up, a lot of historic theaters
that. “There were lots of concerts thrown by legendary promoter Alex
Cooley that helped raise a lot of the money needed to keep those doors open. I mean, the programming had to change, and that was probably one of the big times in the Fox history where it changed to concert business for the most part and away from movies. Then Broadway didn’t come into play until the 80’s. Broadway, the op- era, ballet, those partnerships with the Fox came in the 80’s and 90’s and was when the venue became seen as an arts organization or arts venue.”
Erwin said that the theatre board made a promise to the com-
munity that it would not come back to the citizens to ask for funds to keep the doors open and that the Fox Theatre would be self-sus- taining. “They have kept that promise,” she said. “It requires that type of mindset from the board throughout the organization that we have to be very aggressive and creative with the business model. We revisit the model throughout, and it has been changed to how we handle our revenue streams and our relationship with the community. It is always evolving and because of that for me it keeps working there fresh and open. We have to be that way to serve future generations to come. Fox will be 90 next year, and we take that seriously. We want it here for another 100 years, at least.”
Pushing Through It Erwin thinks about the time she most felt uncomfortable in her
career, which interestingly was due to a job title rather than gender or skin color. It was a position that encompassed security as part of her work, and Erwin admits that upon going into the interview she envisioned a “particular style of person” right for the position. That person, alas, would not be the petite Erwin but rather a large male Erwin would get the job position even while saying that when she
- lated to security she often got a most surprised look. “Now, did it hinder me or stop me? No, it didn’t,” she said. “But, I was acutely aware of it. It was one of the few times in this experience and industry. It wasn’t about race necessarily but about being a small
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