Board of Directors
Ben Barkley
Wingspan Board President
"KT and Wingspan are changing the world by shining a light on some of the most important issues in our world today, telling stories through impactful films that bring home the message better than any other medium. I am excited to be a part of this amazing new journey."
Ben is a Partner and Chairman of the Corporate Department of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, one of Atlanta’s oldest and largest law firms, where he has practiced since 1991. Ben is a mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance attorney, advising senior management and boards of directors of public and large private companies on their most complex transactions and critical organizational challenges. Ben also provides pro bono legal representation to numerous nonprofit organizations, and has served on the board of directors of many organizations, including Camp Sunshine, The Empty Stocking Fund, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, The Paideia School, The Georgia Transplant Foundation, the Virginia-Highland Civic Association, and Atlanta Peace, Inc. Ben was born in Pensacola, Florida, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where he currently resides with his wife, Kathy, splitting his time between his Atlanta home and Oxford, Georgia horse farm. Ben and Kathy have two daughters, Carden and Claire, and four horses.
Tiger Curran
Wingspan Vice President
Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi
"We all want a brighter future. Wingspan Productions is actively creating that more caring, open, and kind world.
While I hope to see Wingspan's wings reach lives all over the world, I love how the work starts by connecting with the real voices and stories of young people right here in the community. How can we heal the biggest rifts on the planet if we don't listen to problems affecting those closest to us?"
Tiger is a costume designer and screenwriter working in Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA, Tiger began working in the costume department of the acclaimed television series, Mad Men. Since then, Tiger has worked on a wide variety of respected projects including David Milch’s Deadwood and Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood. While continuing her career in costume design, Tiger is devoted to expression in many forms including writing, music, visual arts, and dance.
Rita Mazer
Wingspan Board Treasurer
"The mental health challenges young people have faced during the pandemic have been signifigant. We need storytellers who know how to address these issues. I believe Wingspan will make a tremendous impact under KT's leadership."
Rita is a business branding and marketing professional and creator of Mazer Advertising Inc. She developed a series of advertorial pages for the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Her Tips and Trends from Area Businesses was a popular weekly feature and became the go to guide for countless households in SW Florida. Her weekly Food for Thought and Saucy Girl columns were featured in the newspaper’s entertainment section and also became an invaluable resource for the thousands of readers. Rita has lived in Sarasota for over 40 years with her husband Barry, where they raised their family in what she considers ‘the best place to live in the world’. She is also an avid theatre goer and performer, which has garnered her numerous roles in musicals and cabarets. Currently, she is active in children’s theatre, as an integral part of Venice Theatre’s ‘Troupe in a Trunk’, which brings educational theatre to thousands of elementary school children each year.
Wingspan Board Secretary
"Films can teach, tell stories, and take us places we may not otherwise go. Great filmmaking does this and much more; it can lead us to better understanding of common issues and how to support young people through turbulent times. Through Wingspan Productions, KT Curran will continue her great filmmaking thanks to her commitment to ask and then listen, creative talent, and hopeful spirit."
Susan has a great deal of Board experience and is currently the Interim CEO of Presidential Scholars Foundation and the past CEO of the National Association of School Psychologists. Susan is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and her expertise is a tremendous asset for Wingspan's first year's initiative on mental health. She has a wealth of experience nationwide in the field of school psychology and directed the deployment of crisis teams after school shootings dating back to the horror of Columbine High School, including Sandy Hook Elementary School and sadly, many others.
“Susan is an icon within the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) as well as within the larger field of association executives, and she leaves an indelible mark on the association,” says John Kelly, Past President of NASP. “She has guided NASP through 25 years of sustained growth and forward-thinking leadership that has positioned us as one of the most effective and highly regarded member service and advocacy organizations in the country.”
Past President of NASP, Todd Savage reflects that “Susan is the consummate professional and association executive. She can make you feel like the only person in the world in a room of thousands. She set the bar high for herself, which makes everyone around her strive for something greater.”
Susan gorin
Barbara Brizdle
Board Trustee
Barbara spent many years in New York City as a leader in the software industry, most notably as the Vice President / Division Executive for Information Services at Chase Bank. She founded a software services consulting company in 1984, and retired to Longboat Key in 1990 with her late husband, Lawrence J. Schoenberg.
A longtime supporter of arts and education, Brizdle and her husband founded the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) at the University of Pennsylvania, where she currently serves as the Overseer for the UPENN Libraries, and the Brizdle/Schoenberg Special Collections Library at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Barbara’s commitment to films directed by KT Curran began as chair of a task force to promote Surviving Lunch that was instrumental in getting the film in front of a wide audience of community leaders and philanthropists. She is an invaluable asset to our work with Wingspan as we create content that inspires, educates, and enlightens audiences on the most pressing issues of our time.
Barbara has a great deal of Board experience, especially in Sarasota. She has served on the boards of the National Alliance of Children and Families, the All Faiths Food Bank, Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast, Inc., and is currently on the boards of Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.
LINDA LARSEN
Board Trustee
Board Trustee
"Consider all the thousands and thousands of people, all over the planet, who have seen these films, who have been forever changed - for the better. Wingspan is making a positive difference in the world."
Since 1988 Linda has been helping people communicate more effectively in many of life’s most challenging circumstances. She established her company, Voting Matters, as a subsidiary of Linda Larsen Communications, Inc, creating training videos for thousands of election officials throughout the country, helping them manage conflict and better serve the needs of voters with disabilities. As an international conference keynote speaker, Linda was inducted into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame® in 2016, joining the company of such notables as President Ronald Reagan, General Colin Powell and Zig Ziglar and has spoken for over 1,500 audiences world-wide. As a former full-time professional Equity actress, Linda is passionate about the power of stories to profoundly and positively impact people’s lives.