Meet Brooke Spanbauer: THELMA's New Executive Director Has Big Plans for Downtown

I recently got the chance to talk with Brooke Spanbauer, the new executive director of THELMA, and I have to tell you, Fond du Lac picked a good one. Brooke started her career in hospitality because she genuinely loves creating meaningful experiences for people, not just organizing events. Over the past 10-plus years she worked her way from hands-on event coordination into leadership, operations, and strategy, most recently as the Director of Hospitality at Marian University. She is from Fond du Lac, and she has spent her whole career building relationships with local businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, and schools right here in our town. Strong communities are built through relationships, she told me, and that is exactly how she leads.

What I love hearing most is that THELMA is not new to her. She worked there earlier in her career, and she told me the place has held a special spot in her heart since the first time she walked through its doors as an employee. There is something magical about the blend of old and new inside those walls, she said, the historic character paired with the energy of what is still to come. But the building is only part of the story. The people who care so deeply about THELMA are what truly make it special, and before long, she said, you find yourself sharing that same passion. It is hard not to fall in love with THELMA, and coming back to lead it feels especially meaningful to her.

So what can we look forward to? The favorites are staying, including the Great Hall Concert Series, ongoing art exhibits, and THELMA Thursdays. At the same time, Brooke is working on fresh ideas, and one she is especially excited about is the return of a reimagined membership program planned for 2027, built to offer greater value, deeper connections, and more ways to support and engage with THELMA. She also wants to hear directly from all of us about what we would like to see there, whether that is programming, events, classes, exhibits, or performances. There are opportunities for local artists, musicians, small businesses, families, and community groups to get involved, whether that means exhibiting artwork, performing, sponsoring events, volunteering, partnering on programs, or simply showing up and supporting what is happening. She wants THELMA to be here for everyone.

Five years from now, Brooke sees THELMA as one of the key gathering places in Fond du Lac and a driving force in our downtown community, with a strong membership base, diverse and well-attended events, vibrant art exhibits, and programs that engage people of all ages and backgrounds. More than that, she wants it to be a place where people naturally come together, to experience the arts, connect with others, celebrate local talent, or simply enjoy being part of the community. That is a vision I can get behind. And you can hear more from Brooke yourself: she will be on I Love FDL Live Monday morning at 6 a.m. with Kristin and me. Definitely tune in, and then go check out THELMA for yourself.