ASN Staff

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Dr. R. Scott Allen joined ASN as Managing Director in the fall of 2021 after being a member since early 2009. Scott retired in August of 2021 after thirty years in public education, serving thirteen years as Principal of Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston, TX. He holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Texas State University with an emphasis on directing. He earned his master's and doctorate in educational administration from Sam Houston State University. Before retiring from HSPVA, Scott was the principal at Mildred Jenkins Elementary School in Spring ISD and an assistant principal at Lakeland Elementary School in Humble ISD. His teaching experiences include theatre, speech, and English at the high school level. Scott is currently an adjunct professor for the University of Houston and Sam Houston State University. During his early years of teaching, Scott spent two summers working in theatre in New York City. The highlight of this time was the opportunity to stage manage an off-Broadway production of August Strindberg's, The Pelican.

Of the honors he has received, Scott is most proud of the ASN Jeffrey Lawrence Award (2018), being named the Texas H-E-B Excellence in Education State Secondary Principal of the Year (2013), the Sam Houston State University Distinguished Educator of the Year (2019), and the Texas Speech and Communication Association’s State Educator of the Year (2001).

Scott is an avid reader and enjoys traveling with his partner, also Scott. He first ran the Houston Marathon in 2008 and has completed ten more marathons since that first 26.2 mile race. Scott enjoys the variety present in Houston's arts community and continues to be active in the Texas UIL One Act Play Competition, serving as an adjudicator each spring and is the current President-Elect of the Texas Theatre Adjudicator and Officials (TTAO). Hudson and Henry, a golden retriever and miniature dachshund, provide the daily respite from Scott’s schedule.

Contact Scott: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Laurie Barber has been working in arts education and arts administration in Orange County, California for over 25 years.  She has worked for Aids Services Foundation, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Orange County School of the Arts.  She currently works part-time for Arts Schools Network as the Membership Manager. Laurie is passionate about finding ways to increase access to arts education for all and is excited to connect with other arts leaders to grow the ASN community.  

Some fun facts about Laurie:

• She is a visual artist, and her preferred medium is clay.  It’s magical!  
• She went to culinary school and can make a mean chocolate chip scone.
• She volunteers as a cuddler in the NICU for CHOC Hospital. 
• She loves a good spread sheet and color coding is her jam.
• Her goal is to visit all the National parks.  15 down, 44 to go!
• She rode her bike 556 miles from San Francisco to LA. She highly recommends an adventure like this for everyone!
• She played basketball in high school, and it saved her.  Not to brag, but her team was league champs 4 years in a row.
• She was taught the importance of craftsmanship at a young age. 
• She is a recovering self-critic.
• She is an angry optimist.
• Her life’s calling is to find ways to increase access to the arts for everyone and she is always looking for co-conspirators.

CONFERENCE MANAGER

Travis Springfield joined the ASN team as Conference Manager in January 2025, following a remarkable 30-year career in public education. Retiring in July 2024, Travis held a variety of roles, including classroom theatre teacher, campus guidance counselor, dean of students, and district fine arts administrator. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Texas State University and a master’s in counseling from Texas A&M University–Prairie View. During his time as lead counselor and dean of students at Houston’s renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), Travis became actively involved with the Arts Schools Network (ASN), serving on its Board of Directors in 2013 and 2014. He currently serves as an adjunct professor in the University of Houston’s summer master’s program for theatre educators.

Travis is a dedicated advocate for the arts, demonstrated through his extensive service with Texas theatre organizations. He has served on the State UIL Advisory Committee and as the founding Chair of the Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials (TTAO) organization. He is in the fifth year of a six-year term on the Board of Directors for the Texas Educational Theatre Association (TxETA), currently serving as Past-President. A highly respected UIL One Act Play judge and clinician, Travis works with 80–90 high school productions annually and has been invited to judge the UIL state contest seven times. His contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2018 TTAO Service Award, Humble ISD Teacher of the Year, the City of Houston Education Excellency Award, and the 2022 Fine Arts Administrator of the Year award from Texas Thespians.

Beyond education, Travis has appeared in numerous theatre productions in Houston with groups such as Scriptwriters Houston, Unhinged Productions, Mildred's Umbrella, and The Country Playhouse.  In his personal life, Travis enjoys traveling with his husband, Douglas, and caring for their two beloved pets, Cairo and Stubbs. A passionate treasure hunter, he also loves exploring local thrift and antique shops for unique and one-of-a-kind finds.

Contact Travis:  [email protected]