George Levesque is the president and CEO of Tampa Theatre, a position he assumed in June. Before joining one of Tampa’s most beloved cultural landmarks, he served for nearly nine years as executive director of the Paramount Theatre in Abilene, Texas, where he expanded the theatre’s local and national impact. In 2023, he received the Outstanding Individual Contribution Award from the League of Historic American Theatres for his dedication to preserving and advancing the mission of historic theatres. Before his theatre career, Levesque spent two decades in broadcast journalism as an anchor and news director at Abilene’s ABC affiliate. He and his wife, Sidney, have been married for 24 years and have a 16-year-old child.
I was born and raised in Texas — Colorado City, a small West Texas town with a population of about 3,500. My dad was a preacher and my mother was a stayat-home mom.
Seeing the United States from the backseat of our car was one of my fondest childhood memories. We might’ve lived in a trailer, but Dad always found a way to save enough to take us on vacation — and his idea of a vacation was driving across the country. Before I turned 16, I’d probably seen 20 to 25 states.
When I was 17, I told my parents I wanted to go to college. It was against their religion, and I couldn’t stay at home and still go to school — so I packed a bag and moved out. I surfed couches and relied on the kindness of strangers through my senior year of high school. I’ve only spoken to my parents once since then. Leaving was a hard decision, and it made for some hard years in my late teens, but it made me who I am today. It gave me the confidence to succeed.
As a freshman in college, I chose a theater degree because, at the time, I wanted to be an actor.
My first job was working custodial service — sweeping, mopping and buffing floors at grocery stores and businesses around West Texas. I’d get up at three or four in the morning, drive to a nearby town and try to finish before school started. It taught me that every job matters and that every job can give you a sense of accomplishment if you let it.
Growing up, my biggest supporters were a family from my hometown. They knew the story of the kid who’d left home, and after I went to college, they became my biggest supporters. They’ve helped us raise our child, and it’s where we spend Christmas. They’re my family now.
I’ve been fortunate to have mentors at every step of my professional life. If I had to pick one, it’d be a college professor at McMurry University, Charlie Hukill. I looked up to him because he had a rare combination: talented at so many things, but with an incredible work ethic to match.
The Paramount Theatre in Texas was my favorite place on earth. I loved it. When I found out their executive director was planning to retire, I immediately jumped at the chance to make the switch from broadcast journalism to nonprofit theater management.
I’m not from Tampa; this is the first time I’ve lived outside of Texas. But I can honestly say I fell in love with Tampa Theatre and downtown Tampa before this job ever opened up. A friend told me this was the most intact atmospheric theatre in America, and in 2025, he and I flew out just to see it. We spent a weekend downtown and thoroughly enjoyed our time in the city.
Tampa Theatre is in the middle of a $30 million construction project, and we can’t do much in the historic Duncan Auditorium while it’s being restored. Very soon, though, we’ll reopen the doors, and the people of Tampa will get to see what we’ve done here. At that point, my job will be to oversee programming, manage the staff, work with the board and make sure we’re preserving and protecting this building for generations to come.
My business philosophy is that you have to have a fantastic product, but you also need excellent customer service, and you can’t have that without identifying the employees who go the extra mile and finding a way to keep them. I think people in business sometimes forget it’s those employees — and their institutional knowledge — that make you stand out.
The last few years taught me you never know what’s around the corner. I thought I’d retire at my last job. I wasn’t even looking.
I’m most proud of being here. Tampa Theatre is so important to this community, and it’s also an architecturally significant building for this city and state. I’m proud to be here and humbled by how much trust has been put in our hands.
I never thought I could find changing careers so fulfilling. After nearly 20 years as a news anchor, I never thought I’d leave the chair after finally earning main anchor. But it seems like the right choice, watching the obstacles faced by television news these past few years.
This industry is so specialized. We don’t just present concerts or screen films — we’re constantly protecting and restoring a historic building. These movie palaces were built over a very short window in American history, and they weren’t designed the way you’d design a theater today. It comes with real challenges, but it’s worth it.
In my spare time, I love to cook — planning and executing a meal is something I look forward to when I have the time. Afterward, like so many other Americans, I love watching movies.
My whole family loves going on a cruise. I know it’s not for everyone, but we love getting on the boat and letting it take us somewhere. Our favorite was probably Alaska, though our Mediterranean cruise was extraordinary, too. But my absolute favorite place to go is Liverpool, England. Why? I’m a huge Liverpool F.C. fan. I never miss watching a game! Seeing one in person was one of my favorite memories.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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