NATO Elects B&B Theatres CEO Bob Bagby As New Chairman; Takes Over For Outgoing Rolando B. Rodriguez
04.10.2023 - 20:37
/ deadline.com
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) Executive Board of Directors has elected B&B Theatres President & CEO Bob Bagby as the new NATO Executive Board Chair. He’ll be taking over for previous chair, Rolando B. Rodriguez, who is exiting; his retirement as the top executive at Marcus Theatres announced last year.
In addition, Harkins Theaters President & CEO Mike Bowers was elected as the new NATO Vice-Chair.
Santikos Entertainment CEO Tim Handren was elected Chair of The Cinema Foundation, while Salt Lake Film Society’s Tori A. Baker was re-elected Vice Chair.
All of this became official at NATO’s current annual General Membership & Board Meetings at the Beverly Hilton.
The Executive Board of Directors is the governing body of NATO, comprised of 20 leaders in the domestic exhibition industry. The four volunteer officers of the association are elected from and by the members of the Executive Board.
Bagby, oversees the largest family owned and operated theater chain in the U.S, headquartered in Kansas City (Liberty), MO. The circuit will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.
“I grew up in the movie theater business,” says Bagby. “When I was starting out, our family had only 17 screens, and now we’re the largest family-run cinema chain with more than 500 screens, so I have a unique perspective on all sides of the business. It’s an honor for me to represent the dedicated and hard-working people of cinemas across the globe and I look forward to serving the interests of our industry as we continue to bring the magic of the movies to the world.”
The new NATO Vice Chair Bowers, oversees the Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres circuit and its related businesses. His 35 years in the motion picture industry,