Joe Harvey’s resume highlights include working Bonnaroo, the CMT Awards and NFL games. Despite many opportunities outside of the county, he chose to see what he could do for his hometown of McMinnville.

Harvey says he has a passion for McMinnville as well as for community development and hopes to move the city forward. He feels like the Park Theater is a great tool to assist with that goal. Last year, Harvey was made manager of the Park Theater, which also makes him the chair of the Park Advisory Board. Under the manager, the board must consist of a member of the Parks and Rec committee and five citizen members, so the spot on the board he previously held will need to be filled.

Harvey has been instrumental in continuing the revival of the Park Theater and hopes to balance the task of attracting big names and out-of-town attendees with getting local talent on stage. “When we can, we try to fit them in. We had a local artist, Josh Wannamaker, who opened for Dan Tyminsky.” Harvey says he is very open to having more local artists appear at the Park. The challenge is finding acts that can be marketed. “You want to put people on the stage, but you want to make sure there’s a crowd to see them.” 

Harvey notes the auditorium of the Park Theater is a lot larger than many realize, so without enough people inside it can feel empty and they don’t want that to be a deterrent.

Harvey has been working with the Park Theater on the advisory board for years so, along with his other experiences, the theater is in competent hands. 

The Park is also currently looking to fill a couple of positions. Jennifer Pedigo, a long-time administrative assistant who became assistant manager for the theater has moved to the DA’s office. “We’re going to miss her, she was an integral part of the Park Theater,” Harvey explained. 

As for the future, the Park Theater has shows lined up including The Petty Junkies: A Tribute to Tom Petty next Saturday, Etta May and the Southern Fried Chicks on March 31 and nationally known stand-up comedian Killer Beaz, who will be appearing on April 22.