About

Partner: Negra – Graham Theatrical Advisors 2010 – Present

NGTA was formed in late 2010 to assist emerging theatres in handling the complexities involved in starting a historic theatre renovation. We produce business plans, feasibility studies, budgets, programmatic scenarios, technical equipment consulting and architectural plan reviews for clients across the United States.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board: Board Member 2014-2022  

Nominated by Governor Tom Corbett in 2014 and Governor Tom Wolf in 2018. Confirmed by the PA Senate.

My focus during my time on the Board was operational efficiencies, strategic planning, supplier and customer relations, supply chain vision, store locations and layouts, and product selection. I helped create international relationships with wine associations in Italy and France with the goal of improved marketing and product availability. In addition, I supported both wine, spirit and beer suppliers in the Commonwealth through better communication and an understanding of their needs and concerns.

I was part of the team that led the LCB through the Act 39 changes that created a wholesale division, put wine in Grocery and Convenience stores, allowed direct to consumer (DTC) wine shipments to individuals and expanded PA based distillery, winery and brewery business opportunities.

I was the liaison with the Senate and House Republican Caucuses for legislative and policy decisions, appearing before the Senate Law and Justice Committee, House Liquor Committee and both Appropriations Committees.

Other duties included financial review and budgeting, personnel matters, legal issues, adjudicating licensing matters presented to the Board, media relations and any other issues involving the industry of alcohol in the Commonwealth.

State Theatre: 1999-2010:

Founded: Served as President of the Non-Profit Board of Directors (2001-2006), Construction Manager (2002-2006), Executive Director (2006-2010) for the 571 seat Community Performing Arts Center.

Duties included all aspects of programming including contract negotiations, show budgets, artist relations, day of show management, financial management including overall budgets, P&L, development, grant writing, community and Penn State University relations, marketing, personnel management, and systems management. Managed a staff of 5 full time, 40 part time and on call and hundreds of volunteers. Presented over 500 events per year including national touring artists, independent film, local productions and rentals. Budget for FY 09/10 was $1.5M.

Mike’s Video, Inc: 1984-2006:

Founded: Corporate President, majority owner: Grew the video rental/Music software/TV & Appliance sales and service retail chain from one store in 1984 with sales of $180,000 to 6 stores and sales of $9M in 2000 and sold the chain in June, 2006. Responsibilities included inventory purchasing and control, real estate procurement for 13 new stores or relocations, interior design, and construction management, marketing, banking relationships, PR, customer service, strategic planning, financial and personnel management of a staff up to 125 employees. Named Small Business of the Year in Centre County, PA in 1992.

Tour Management: 1976-1982:

During this time frame I toured the United States and England as a Road Manager or Production Manager for various artists including Tim Curry, Geoff Muldaur, Scarlet Rivera, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Tuff Darts and Rupert Holmes. Responsibilities included day to day artist management, tour planning, cash flow management, monitor mixing, and personnel management.

Concert Production: 1973-1975

While an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, I rose from stage crew to production manager to concert manager of all national touring artist concerts on campus. Venues ranged in size from the 250 seat Student Union Theatre to the 14,500 seat Cole Field House, with many sized venues in between. As concert manager, my duties included artist selection, contract negotiations, staffing, on site event management, budgeting, rider fulfillment, artist relations, marketing, and liaison with University of Maryland departments including accounting, physical plant and legal.

Over 150 artists were presented during my tenure included Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Frank Zappa, Stephen Stills, Santana, Joni Mitchell and the Kinks.

Ken Graham started in 1966 as an actor/singer at Emerson College, Boston, graduating with a major in Directing and a minor in Lighting Design. While in Boston, he worked for 15 theater companies as Stage Manager, Technical Director, Lighting Designer and Director. He helped create two of them.

He toured North America and the world continuously from 1972 to 1995, first with Musical Theater, then Jazz; then Rock & Roll and Country, interspersed with corporate events and key roles in some of the largest live entertainment events such as – the first US Festival in 1982, the Rolling Stones ’Steel Wheels’ ’89-90, the Time Warner free concert for the youth of Russia “Monsters of Rock in Moscow” in 1991, Woodstock ’94 and ’99, plus Global Citizen 2014 thru the present.

From 1977 – 1990 he was Production Manager for such acts as The Eagles, Steve Miller, Joe Walsh, the Rolling Stones and Don Henley. He was the Set / Lighting Designer and/or Director for Billy Cobham, Weather Report, Steve Miller, the New Barbarians, Barry Manilow, Dan Fogelberg, Joe Walsh, David Bowie and Don Henley amongst others. He was Co-Designer of set, lights and Co-Director for the Judds ’85 -’90. He designed the sets and lights for other acts as well.

In 1981 he helped create and define the position of Site-Coordinator working with the Rolling Stones, then with The Who, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Elton John, David Bowie, and Sting. Ken was also the Staging Supervisor with MTV for several VMA’s and for VH l’s Divas: Aretha at Radio City and the first – Five Divas in Las Vegas. He served as the Assistant Technical Supervisor for Disney’s movie – “Pocahontas” premier in NYC Central Park. He had various Production roles for the film and TV recording of a number of major live events in the US and abroad including – Bob Dylan, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffett, Jay Z & Beyonce and Global Citizen.

Ken was the Site Manager and Operation Group member for Woodstock ’94 and while consulting on Woodstock ’99 became Project Director ‘pro-tem’- both times dealing with all vendors, staff, Federal, State and local agencies.

From 1995 – 2000 he served as Vice President of New Development at Catskill Corners (now The Emerson) in Mt Tremper, NY, with responsibility for the overall operation of the 45 acre complex, design interface and overseeing construction – both new and restoration.This included over 10 buildings of retail, attractions, 3 restaurants and lodging. The last being the 4 star, award winning Emerson Inn & Spa. Then from the Fall of 2000 through 2003, for Crossroad Ventures, Ken was the Project Director for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for their – Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park – coordinating the owners, lawyers, consultants, engineers, architects, Federal, State and local authorities.

From 2002 Ken Site-Co’d the NFL Kickoff concerts in NYC’s Times Sq. and Columbus Circle, in Miami Beach and Washington DC, plus the HBO Concert of Valor on the DC Mall. From 2004 – 2012 he toured as Production Manager for Simon & Garfunkel, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and John Fogerty. He also Site-Co’d for tours including Luke Bryan, Jay Z & Beyonce, Eminem & Rihanna and The Eagles. From 2004 he continues to Site-Co for Jimmy Buffett.

Since 2005 he has been the Production Coordinator/Designer for corporate PR events in NYC, Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas for Samsung, iHeart, LEGO, Yahoo, Microsoft, Sungevity, Paco Rabanne and Calvin Kline amongst others.

In 2005 he also was the Theatre Consultant for the restoration / operation of The State Theatre in State College, Pa. From that experience he and Mike Negra created Negra-Graham Theatrical Advisors, helping the restoration of historic theaters with their business plans, funding efforts, choice of architects, architectural & operational plans and equipment.

From 2016 thru the present he serves as Live Nation’s consultant to Global Citizen for their yearly festival in NYC Central Park along with their events in London, Hamburg, Germany and Johannesburg, South Africa.