Expanding Our Team
In the years since our founding, Missed the Boat has grown in fits and starts. We have expanded our cast and crew and administrative volunteer pools. We have built relationships with individual and organizational donors across the Twin Cities (and beyond). With every show, class, or retreat, we learn something new about how to best serve our artists, audiences, and supporters.
Yet at the same time, we have been unable to plan more than a few months ahead, and we lose momentum when focus must all be grounded on what’s right in front of us. In the corporate start-up world, people understand that “you have to spend money to make money.” While we’re not here to make money, we have learned that it is equally true that Missed the Boat cannot increase its capacity to serve Catholic artists and produce quality artistic creations on the stage without adequate time and attention from a dedicated team.
Therefore, we have taken a few big leaps this fall, in support of a new phase of growth of Missed the Boat Theatre. First, Sam Vargo, a longtime member of our leadership team, has expanded her role as Executive Director to serve as our first (nearly) full-time employee, serving MTBT as her primary job. We are so excited to have her strategic vision, years of theater experience, and heart for our mission to steer the boat.
Next, we have added two other part-time members to our team for the 2024-2025 season: Eleonore Wagner will serve as our Marketing & Communications Director, and Natalia Foley will be taking on the role of Development Director. We are excited and grateful to have two people already familiar with Missed the Boat apply their gifts and talents in new ways. Stay tuned for what’s next as this team dives headfirst into these new roles!
Ellie Wagner, Marketing and Communications Director
Ellie studied literature and philosophy at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN (‘17), where she had the opportunity to rebrand and manage a literary magazine to create a vibrant online and print publication. She also served as an Admissions Counselor at Bethany Lutheran College, during which she wrote and edited a lot of the outgoing advertisements and communications for the college. She taught music, theater, and art at Agamim Classical Academy until the birth of her son in 2023. She has been actively involved in theater both on and off stage, and was introduced to Missed the Boat by serving as Costume Designer for Sense and Sensibility. She is a published poet and essayist, and directs the choir for her congregation. Ellie lives on a 20 acre homestead with her husband and son.
Natalia Foley, Development Director
Natalia is a Twin Cities native, mother of 3 (with one on the way!), and a recent Missed the Boat Theatre alumni, appearing in the 2024 production of Catholic Young Adults: The Musical. After graduating from North Dakota State University with her degrees in English and Strategic Communication, she found herself working alongside her husband as FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) Missionaries at Mary College in Tempe, AZ. Since moving back to Minnesota in 2020, she is happy to have welcomed 3 wonderful kids into the world. Natalia has a rich background in fundraising and community building from her time in college, missionary life, and beyond. She is so excited to work with the amazingly talented people at Missed the Boat Theatre and can't wait to see what God has in store for this organization.