Margaret McCloskey

ABOUT MARGARET

Margaret McCloskey (Executive Director) (she/her) has been with Remy Bumppo since 2014, and has served as Director of Development and Managing Director before becoming Executive Director in July 2020, working closely with the Artistic Director to develop and steward strategic initiatives for organizational growth. Previously, she was a fundraising consultant with Aaron Consulting in New York City, managing high-level fundraising campaigns for a number of east coast organizations, and served in the office of communications at the Ford Foundation, among other roles. Margaret started her career in Chicago, holding positions at the Chicago Opera Theater, Rotary International and the League of Chicago Theaters. Theatre is her first love, and she holds both an MFA in Playwriting from the New School for Drama in New York City and a BFA in Theatre Studies from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Fun Facts about Margaret:

What is your favorite Remy Bumppo production so far? Anna in the Tropics — it’s very special because we wanted to do it for so long — I started working on plans to produce it before the pandemic, and we finally brought it to fruition in 2023. It was a proud moment for me.
What is the origin story of your dog’s name? Scout, our Chihuahua-Shitzu mix, is named after the character in To Kill a Mockingbird. 
Do you have any unusual talents? I’m a pretty good pianist. I started lessons at age six and still play whenever I find myself alone with a piano.
What is something you find incredibly underrated? Chicago parks! Chicago is lousy with beautiful, underrated parks! The South Shore Cultural Center is an absolute gem with a gorgeous park perfect for walking — and the Obamas got married there! Steelworkers Park (my fav!) is on the grounds of an old steel mill and is one of the few places in Chicago where fishing is allowed. The Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park is a stunning Japanese garden that is so restful, with pagodas and flowering trees around every turn. Nearly every park in Chicago has something special about it.