Carolyn Hays. Courtesy of Carolyn Hays.
Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass, and masonry, the 102,000-square-foot center features three stunning performance venues and a gallery, alongside spaces for rehearsals, classes, and events that support the full life cycle of artistic creation for local arts groups, global performers, and university-related activities.
The Hylton Center Education and Rehearsal Wing opened in December 2019. adding 17,000 square feet of space for rehearsals, classes, and performances, and allows the artists and arts educators of our community to fully facilitate the entire life-cycle of artistic creation. A Mason Arts venue, the Hylton Performing Arts Center is managed by George Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. The only building of its kind in the area, the Hylton Center has quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of civic collaboration and commitment to the arts.
Carolyn Hays, CFRE, is a seasoned nonprofit executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across arts and culture, higher education, and healthcare philanthropy. Since joining the Hylton Performing Arts Center in 2024 as Director of Development, she has played a central role in advancing strategic fundraising initiatives, strengthening governance partnerships, and supporting long-term institutional planning. Earlier in her career, Hays held leadership and development roles with Washington Performing Arts, Washington National Opera, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo, before spending nearly a decade in community hospital philanthropy with CHI Foundations of Texas and UVA Community Health. She also serves as an educator in arts leadership, having taught at both the University of Houston and George Mason University. A proud Wyoming native, Hays holds degrees from the University of Wyoming and Florida State University and maintains active professional credentials through CFRE International and BoardSource. She is a current board member of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce and part of the 2026 Leadership Prince William class.
The 2026-2027 season features renowned artists such as Bernadette Peters, Kathy Mattea, and Straight No Chaser. What excites you most about the upcoming season, and what do you hope audiences will take away from this year’s programming?
I would love to say I have two or three favorites, but I don’t, and I think I’m going to be going to everything. Not because it’s my job, but because it’s just that exciting. This is our 17th season. It showcases the incredible breadth, vibrant energy, and true star power that the Hylton Center has the ability to bring. Beyond icons like Bernadette Peters and the pure showmanship of Straight No Chaser, we are absolutely elated to present the world-renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. At the very same time, we are incredibly proud to present a Prince Willam County favorite, Nothin’ Fancy, who will be opening our American Roots Series in October.
When I think about welcoming an artist of Yo-Yo Ma’s global stature, it truly is a monumental milestone for the Hylton Center and a massive point of pride for Prince William County. It signals that this venue that was built in 2010 and our community have truly firmly arrived on a global stage as a premier destination for world-class artistry. Our mission is unique, and especially for a university performing arts center, it’s deeply rooted in the community and celebrating the full spectrum of art. We’re fiercely dedicated to championing not only the local arts organizations through our Arts Partners and Arts Alliance, but also showcasing the national and presenting the international. We have a deliberate mix of hometown favorites and global legends directly on our stage that showcases exactly what the Hylton Center does best. We serve as the premier cultural crossroads for our region.
To answer your question of what I hope audiences take away, I hope they take away a profound sense of connection and belonging. Whether someone is walking through our doors for the legendary cellist, the bluegrass favorite, Bernadette Peters, or a local community performance, I want them to feel that the Hylton Center is their living room and their home for the arts. This season is truly designed to inspire, comfort, and energize. Hopefully reminding us all of the irreplaceable magic of experiencing live performance together.
You previously served as the Director of Development at the Hylton Center. How did your experience in that role, along with your previous professional experience, prepare you for your current position as executive director?
I’ve had a long history in fundraising and so many roles through the eyes of a Director of Development. What that long history has really provided me is an invaluable ground level understanding of the unique relationship between our mission, our community, and our resources. In fundraising, success is truly relationship-driven. You spend your time listening to what people care about and find ways to align their passions with the organization’s future. That experience taught me to view the Hylton Center specifically through a lens of stewardship, sustainability, and deep community enlightenment. George Mason’s profound commitment to our regional engagement really is directly visible through the Hylton Center’s work every day. I’m fortunate to bring this wide range of diverse experience in the past few years as the Director of Development here at the Hylton Center, and I think this role aligns perfectly with this civic mission that we have.
My very first position out of graduate school was working at the box office of the Washington National Opera as part of the marketing team. Back then, the opera operated as an external rental organization, very separate from how they were recently with The Kennedy Center. That gave me such a unique foundational perspective of how the rental venue relationship can work. It’s obviously an insight I use every day here knowing that 80 percent of what we do at the Hylton Center is an external rental.
Later, my time in Houston, Texas with the Houston Arts Alliance gave me a deep firsthand experience about how to navigate the complex, public-private partnerships that exist. I spent years fundraising with some of the top hospital systems in the country where I learned how to communicate with vastly different types of stakeholders and truly understand the diverse motivations that bring people to an organization and how not everybody’s money or intention is meant for every organization. You really have to find your pure stakeholders that want to lift and come along with your organization on the ride.
On a personal level, I grew up in a very small town in Wyoming that gave me a permanent grounding in what true small community means. In a small town, you see exactly what community looks like before a major civic investment happens. It makes you deeply appreciate the growth and the mission of an organization once that investment (such as the Hylton Center) is made and the impact it has on the community. I think my deep foundation in development, paired with deliberate trajectory through marketing, public-private partnerships, healthcare, and my own artistic roots, allows me to step into this role with a very holistic view. I see how well our facility partners, regional stakeholders, our dedicated board, and generous donors all interlock to build the George Mason mission and drive the Hylton Center forward.
What was your reaction when you learned you would be the Hylton Center’s next executive director, and what did that moment mean to you personally?
My immediate reaction was an overwhelming sense of just profound gratitude. It’s really tough to be an internal candidate, and now I look through that lens very differently, with a deep surge of responsibility and some excitement. This was a big job, and it’s a huge opportunity. Having already been part of the Hylton Center for a couple of years, I knew firsthand the caliber of this team here. I get the opportunity and the pleasure to lead 70+ individuals through what comes next for the Hylton Center. I have a passion for our patrons and this vital role that the institution plays in Northern Virginia, and the importance of what it means to our community.
For me personally, it was an incredible, full-circle moment. My roots are in the performing arts as a vocalist, and I dedicated most of my career to building the organizational structures that allow nonprofit organizations, specifically the arts, to thrive. To be asked to lead an institution as prestigious as the community-centered Hylton Center and to partner with leaders like Dean (Rick) Davis and President Gregory Washington just really felt like the culmination of everything I had been working toward. It is a true privilege to steward this next chapter for not only the Hylton Center, but the arts in Prince William County and Northern Virginia, through the lens of George Mason University right here in Manassas.
Since stepping into the role, what have been the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of leading the Hylton Center?
The most rewarding, undoubtedly, has been witnessing the tangible impact of our collective efforts. We get to celebrate major milestones with our community, such as reaching our $15 million endowment goal this past summer. Seeing the direct result of long-term strategic cultivation materialize into stability for the Hylton Center and the arts in our region is deeply fulfilling. Every time I stand in the Didlake Grand Foyer downstairs and watch an audience stream into the halls, I’m reminded why this work matters and why it’s so important to our communities. The most challenging aspect, I would say, is balancing the complex, multifaceted nature of a major regional arts center that serves multiple stakeholders. We’re a university venue, a community home for local arts groups, and we present world-class touring artists. We’re an active champion for our veterans and military families, and an educational hub for local public schools and lifelong learners. Navigating those intersecting priorities requires constant, deliberate communication, careful resource validation, and ensuring that as we grow, we remain accessible and deeply relevant to our community. Our mission is ultimately the driving force behind all we do.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for the Hylton Center, and where do you see the organization growing over the next several years?
My vision for the Hylton Center is to establish us unequivocally as a must-hit cultural destination for Prince William County. We’re not just a beautiful building made of copper that people should drive by on their commutes. We truly are a vibrant, essential hub that anchors our community and serves as the creative heartbeat of a booming innovation district here in Northern Virginia. To achieve this, we’re looking at the entire ecosystem of engagement through a lens of what I like to call “radical hospitality.” We want to create a top-notch, frictionless patron experience from the moment someone buys a ticket to the welcome they receive in our lobby, all the way to how smoothly they leave the parking lot after a performance. I truly believe every touchpoint matters.
To launch us on this journey, we are in the moment where we are updating and creating a new strategic plan to map out what this next chapter looks like. It’ll be a vital piece of where we go with a map for the future. We are inviting the community to weigh in and tell us exactly what they want to see in their performing arts center as we grow. I really think this forward momentum comes at a critical juncture. Over the next several years, we have an incredible opportunity to welcome new audiences who have perhaps been displaced by the closing of other regional arts venues. Ultimately, my goal is to introduce them to the Hylton Center and deliver such an unparalleled, memorable experience that we just don’t fill a temporary gap for them, but we win them over for good and they stay here. Our endowment foundation is really secure, and we’re uniquely positioned to invest in this level of excellence and look at this patron experience. I think doing that expands our reach and ensures that everyone who walks through our doors knows that they have found their permanent artistic home.
The Hylton Center’s 2026-2027 season begins September 19, 2026 and individual tickets go on sale on August 4, 2026. Subscription packages are also available, and patrons can create their own subscription package of three or more shows. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased in person at the Hylton Center Box Office, calling 703-993-7759 or by going online.
