Shawn Abramowitz

For nearly 13 years, Shawn Abramowitz has served as executive director of Desert Ensemble Theatre, a nonprofit theater company recognized for its youth mentorship program. In that program, local students work alongside theater professionals in lighting, sound, and stage management and receive scholarships to pursue their goals.

“I’m really passionate about performing arts, and I love that we have a big performing arts scene out here,” Abramowitz shares. “We work with high school students, giving them on-the-job training. … Then they move on, hopefully within the industry, to take those skills they learned here out into the real world.”

Offstage, Abramowitz leads a sales team at Spectrum Reach and serves on the board of the Desert Sands Educational Foundation, which provides resources for students and teachers.

He credits his community-first mindset to his parents — especially his mom. He recalls one rainy day when a child knocked on the door selling candy without a jacket. His mother handed over one of  his so the boy could stay warm.

“I want to be remembered as the person that would give anything to make sure somebody else is taken care of,” Abramowitz says. “If you live here and you play here, you should give back as much as possible.”