Steczyk named new director of Lincoln Amphitheatre

Today, Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann announced former Ferdinand Town Manager Marc Steczyk as the new director of the Lincoln Amphitheatre.

Management of the amphitheatre, located in Lincoln State Park, Lincoln, is a new collaborative effort between Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD).

“We are excited to have Marc’s leadership and expertise begin a new era for this performance facility,” said Ellspermann. “The Lincoln Amphitheatre will continue to tell the important story of young Abraham Lincoln’s life in Indiana and how his life here helped shape him into the great leader he became. We also look forward to attracting a variety of new performances to the facility.”

The Lincoln Amphitheatre opened in 1987. At 1,500 seats, it is one of the largest covered amphitheatres in the United States. Prior to 2015, the amphitheatre traditionally held performances of Lincoln-related shows that highlighted his boyhood in Indiana.

The facility is closed this year and is undergoing maintenance and repairs. Lincoln State Park and the adjacent Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial preserve the farm site and surrounding area where a young Abraham Lincoln lived with his family from 1816 to 1830.

This new collaboration between DNR and IOTD is designed to optimize the regional impact of the facility. Indiana’s bicentennial year, 2016, is also the bicentennial year of the Lincoln Family’s arrival to Indiana. The Lincoln Amphitheatre is an important cultural hub for southern Indiana and will operate in a visible and impactful way during the bicentennial celebration. The Lincoln story will be the beneficiary of a varied schedule of programming in the facility.

“The Lincoln Amphitheatre is a beautiful venue and an important cultural asset in southern Indiana,” said Steczyk. “I am thankful for the lieutenant governor’s trust in my ability to manage this facility and am excited to work with the dedicated and creative staff and volunteers that have contributed to the preservation of Lincoln’s Indiana legacy.”

Prior to managing the Lincoln Amphitheatre, Steczyk was town manager of Ferdinand and executive director of the Ferdinand Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing the Ferdinand Folk Festival, managing the town budget and leading the town staff.

Before this, he worked for the City of Fishers and Indiana Department of Education. Most recently, he served as marketing communications manager for Kimball Office in Jasper. Steczyk, of Ferdinand, earned his bachelor’s degree from Franklin College and his master’s degree from Oakland City University.

He begins his new role this week.