Maestro returns to leadership seat
Matthew Wardell is stepping back into his role as managing director of the Reilly Arts Center.
Matt Wardell, conductor of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, will again serve as managing director of the Reilly Arts Center. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
Natalie McComb became executive director of the Reilly Arts Center and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra in January of 2024 and Adam Volpe was promoted from director of the Marion Theatre to senior director of operations and programming for the Reilly.
The changes came about as Pamela Calero Wardell, who served as the executive director of the OSO and the Reilly for nearly 10 years, accepted a position as senior director of development with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Matthew Wardell, the Reilly’s CEO since its inception in 2015, stepped down from that role as he and his wife transitioned to Jacksonville but he continued to serve as music director and conductor of the OSO and as an artistic advisor to the Reilly Arts Center.
Matthew Wardell announced on June 23 in a letter to OSO subscribers that McComb has left her position.
“The OSO Board of Directors and Natalie McComb mutually agreed that Natalie concluded her service as executive director effective June 1, 2026. The board and I are grateful to Natalie for her leadership and contributions, and she wishes the organization continued success. We are all committed to a smooth transition,” Wardell wrote.
“During this interim period, the board has asked me to return to managing the organization—a role I served in from 2014 to 2024 as we built and expanded the Reilly, so this is very familiar ground. The team we know and love—Adam, Leighton, Mary and the rest of our incredible staff—are energized about what’s ahead, and with good reason: season ticket sales are outpacing last year by about 15% (keep inviting your friends!), we just received a significant new endowment commitment, our school is in the middle of a wonderful summer camp and other events at the Reilly continue to be at the highest level,” Wardell state in the document.
To learn a bit more, the “Gazette” did a Q&A with Wardell, who is well known in the community, along with Pamela Calero Wardell, who recently was named chief philanthropy officer for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The family canine, Buckley, also has a local following.
Q: Since Natalie was named executive director in January 2024, have there been any significant changes?
Building a strong, specialized team has been one of my most deliberate priorities since I took on the music director role 17 years ago and I’m genuinely proud of what that investment has produced. As our organization has grown—especially since we built the Reilly—we’ve worked hard to identify and develop the right people for the right roles and to give them the space and support to grow into leaders in their own right. Adam has taken on a leadership role across programming, operations and production. Mary Hoppe and Leighton Okus have each grown in their independence and impact in development and stewardship. And the growth of our Conservatory school under Forrest Andre and the continued stability and momentum of the Marion Theatre under Emma Watson, it’s been genuinely heartening to watch. Kathryn Poore, the orchestra’s general manager is constantly pushing the orchestra to grow and evolve professionally. I could mention staff in every department from production to concessions to our volunteers and box office. We have a remarkable team, and I think the past two years have shown just how deep that bench really is.
Q: Are you excited to step back into this role along with serving as music director?
Absolutely—I’m genuinely excited and energized. I’ve been fortunate to lead this organization and watch it grow from a very modest budget 17 years ago, with no permanent home, into what it is today: building, renovating and managing operations and programming at the Reilly, the Marion and our Conservatory, while still presenting some of the very finest symphonic music you’ll find anywhere. We continue to grow our orchestral programming well beyond what people might expect at first glance and that’s something I take a lot of pride in. Getting to lead this team at this particular moment feels like a real privilege.
Q: Do you plan to implement any changes or have big things on the horizon?
Honestly, from a day-to-day operational standpoint, not much change. The only immediate change is I’ll resume direct oversight of our development and conservatory teams. What I’m most excited about is what’s ahead: we have some fantastic new programming coming for both the OSO and the Reilly this season and we’re working hard to really establish our endowment as a foundation for long-term financial stability. Just last week we received a really meaningful commitment in that area that I’m very excited about. More on that soon.
Q: What are Adam, Leighton and Mary’s roles and how will they interact with you?
Adam serves as our senior director of operations and programming—the engine behind much of what happens on stage and behind the scenes at the Reilly. Mary, our donor and patron relations manager, has been the heartbeat of our connection to so many of our donors and members for years and will continue in that role. Leighton is our business development manager, handling all corporate sponsorships, venue rentals and special events; a role she is fantastic in. Each of them report to me and my job is to empower them to make decisions, to give them the resources and support they need and to get out of their way. They are exceptional at what they do, and it genuinely is a blast to get to work alongside them.
Q: How are you and Pamela doing? Will you spend more time in Ocala now? What does Buckley think?
I am just so proud of Pamela. The impact she has made throughout her career between building our development operation here in Ocala, helping to establish the Reilly, her incredible work in Jacksonville, her time at the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington and now stepping into this new chapter with the St. Louis Symphony, the second-oldest orchestra in the country—it’s remarkable. I continue to learn from her every single day and I’m genuinely grateful to have a partner who shares my passion and excitement for the performing arts. I think we’ve both found that doing meaningful work in this field, wherever it takes you, keeps you sharp and brings so much back to the people and organizations you love most.
As for me, not much changes practically. Moving from DC to St. Louis adds about 25 minutes to my flight back to Florida, so I get to take a little more time eating my in-flight peanuts. We still have our home in downtown Ocala, and I’ll continue spending significant time here throughout the year. This past season I was in town about 10 days a month and that will increase a bit going forward. But we live in a wonderfully connected world—between Zoom, FaceTime, our online CRM software, online accounting and the Google ecosystem, I feel completely plugged into our team and our work every single day regardless of where I am. And one unexpected benefit of all this travel has been the exposure to best practices and ideas I never would have encountered otherwise, things I’ve been able to bring directly back to benefit Ocala.
As for Buckley, he doesn’t mind me being away, as long as I come home with a treat or two. He’s the best boy.
For more information, go to reillyartscenter.com
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