(Phoenix, Ariz.) The City of Chandler and the Chandler Cultural Foundation announce that Michelle Mac Lennan will retire from her role as Cultural Arts Manager and General Manager of the Chandler Center for the Arts (CCA) in September 2026.
“Michelle Mac Lennan exemplifies the very best of public service,” says City of Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. “Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to community, collaboration, and access, and her work has strengthened the role of the arts as a meaningful part of life in Chandler. We are grateful for her years of dedication and the lasting influence she leaves behind.”
Mac Lennan’s career with the Chandler Center for the Arts spans more than two decades. She first joined the organization in 1999 as Patron Services Coordinator; and after a year of helping launch the Tempe Center for the Arts in 2005, she returned to Chandler to take the newly established position of Assistant Manager for the CCA. Mac Lennan was promoted to General Manager in 2014 and, in 2019, was named Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Chandler.
Under Mac Lennan’s leadership, the Chandler Center for the Arts assets have increased from $2.3 million in 2014 to more than $10 million this year, which has enabled the Center to reinvest in artists, strengthen education programs, and broaden the reach of arts experiences for residents of all ages.
A visionary for what a modern arts center can be, Mac Lennan transformed the CCA from a venue presenting a season of winter events into a vibrant cultural hub offering a robust annual calendar of nationally and internationally recognized performers. First expanding box office operations and earned revenue strategies, she laid the foundation for a new programming vision that broadened artistic genres, challenged audiences, and celebrated the full diversity of the Chandler community. This vision led to the launch of a new brand for the CCA, which more than doubled the Center’s ticket sales within its first year.
Her commitment to representation and cultural vibrancy have led to major artistic milestones. She championed audience development of Black, Hispanic and Intergenerational artists and events, including developing a partnership with C.A.L.L.E de Arizona to co-present the annual Mariachi and Ballet Folklórico Festival, now in its 26th year. She advanced the CCA’s Artist-in-Residence Program, first with artist Michael Mwenso and now with composer/playwright Ashli St. Armant. Under Mac Lennan’s leadership, the CCA co-commissioned St. Armant’s first theatrical piece, North: The Musical, a project that positioned Chandler as a partner in a four-city national consortium. Through artist-in-residence programs and commissioning initiatives, nationally recognized artists work directly with Chandler youth and members of the community, develop new work, and collaborate with local creatives.
Mac Lennan has long believed in the transformative power of the arts for all ages, and the importance of access for all. For over 10 years, she partnered with the Chandler Unified School District on the presentation of Zoppé, an Italian Family Circus delighting over 67,000 people in the European one-ring circus.
A champion of collaboration, Mac Lennan strengthened the highly successful shared use partnership that powers the Chandler Center for the Arts, bringing together the City of Chandler, the Chandler Unified School District and the Chandler Cultural Foundation and elevating it into a nationally recognized model for public-private collaboration. Under her leadership, Chandler Center has reached maximum capacity, hosting more than 800 events annually and achieving record numbers of sold-out performances, reflecting the Center’s continued growth and strong community demand.
Throughout her career, Mac Lennan fostered a culture of philanthropy that reshaped the CCA’s trajectory. As the President of the Chandler Cultural Foundation, she advanced the Center Stage Annual Fundraising Gala, spearheaded multiple capacity-building grants, and championed the Jerry Brooks Legacy Fund to encourage Planned Giving. With deep passion for Chandler and the Arts Center, Michelle Mac Lennan built an extraordinary foundation of philanthropic support, cultivating relationships that span memberships, individual donations, sponsorships, grants, and legacy gifts. Her leadership generated more than $7.7 million in philanthropic support, including transformational contributions from Steena Murray, whose generosity led to the naming of the Steena Murray Mainstage, the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, and the recently announced bequest from the Estate of Mariann and Craig Shields, the largest single gift in the organization’s history.
Mac Lennan spearheaded the expansion of the Center’s food and beverage program, including the successful acquisition of a liquor license, transforming the patron experience and generating a critical revenue stream for the Center. During her 27-year tenure, she oversaw numerous capital improvement projects, including the The Gallery at CCA and box office spaces; lobby and restroom upgrades; facility signage and wayfinding enhancements; digital and sound system upgrades; the addition of U-Lift accessibility features; and the upcoming 2026 Summer Renovation, which will include new seating, refreshed interiors, updated rigging systems, and other improvements supporting the next era of the CCA.
Mac Lennan has led one of the most efficient and admired teams for performing arts centers in the nation. The dedicated corps of Chandler Center for the Arts Volunteers, Board and Committee members contribute nearly 9,000 hours of service annually to CCA.
A leader for arts and culture, Mac Lennan is the President of the Arizona Presenters Alliance, a state-wide service organization providing professional training, development, and knowledge exchange for the performing arts in Arizona. A mentor to over 15 women and arts professionals during the last decade, Mac Lennan was awarded the Virginia G. Piper Fellowship which recognizes top non-profit leaders in the State of Arizona (2006) and was named Arizona Business Journal’s Outstanding Woman in Business in 2016.
“Michelle Mac Lennan leads with rare clarity, generosity, and purpose, grounded in a warmth that ensures people are truly seen and valued. Her vision for the Chandler Center for the Arts has always been rooted in service to artists, audiences, and the community, and she brings people together around something bigger than themselves. She does not just manage an arts center. She builds trust, nurtures talent, and creates space where creativity and connection thrive. Her leadership has shaped the Chandler Cultural Foundation and the City of Chandler in lasting ways, and her legacy will continue to inspire our work,” said Julia Marreel, Board Chair of the Chandler Cultural Foundation.
Celebrating Michelle Mac Lennan
Michelle has made a lasting impact on the Chandler Center for the Arts and on everyone who has had the pleasure of working with her. As she begins this next chapter, we invite you to help us celebrate her legacy.
Please share a short video message with your well wishes, memories, or words of thanks. These messages will be compiled and shared with Michelle.
Thank you for helping us honor someone who has meant so much to so many.