Bell Plans a Summer 2026 Exit After More Than 40 Years Leading the Historic Movie Palace
TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 7, 2025) – Tampa Theatre President & CEO John Bell has announced his plans to retire early next summer, marking the end of an extraordinary 40-year tenure leading one of the nation’s most celebrated historic movie palaces.
Under Bell’s visionary leadership, Tampa Theatre has evolved from a once-struggling civic project into an internationally recognized cultural landmark, hosting more than 1,000 events annually and welcoming some 120,000 guests each year.
“John has been the heart and soul of Tampa Theatre for four decades,” said Ann Shaler, Chair of the Tampa Theatre Board of Directors. “His love for this building and his unwavering commitment to its preservation and purpose have ensured that Tampa Theatre remains not just a Tampa treasure, but a world-class destination.”
When Bell arrived in Tampa in 1985, the Theatre had been saved from demolition just nine years before and was showing mostly classic films under the management of the Hillsborough County Arts Council. Seeing the need for a more sustainable model, Bell expanded programming to include first-run independent films, created the long-running Summer Classics movie series, and transformed the 1,238-seat Theatre into one of the region’s most intimate live concert venues—welcoming artists ranging from Annie Lennox and Harry Connick, Jr. to Jimmy Fallon and David Byrne. In 2010, he led the Theatre’s evolution away from the Arts Council to governance through its own nonprofit organization to bolster its fundraising ability.
“When I first arrived here, Tampa Theatre was a lonely beacon of light in an otherwise desolate downtown,” Bell says. “I’ve had a front row seat to see the transformation of our neighborhood and how Tampa Theatre has played a part in downtown Tampa’s renaissance.”
He has led Tampa Theatre through multiple major restoration and modernization projects, including the award-winning 2017 lobby restoration, the Theatre’s first-ever expansion – the 43-seat John T. Taylor screening room, which opened in June 2024 – as well as the current planning for the historic landmark’s full restoration through its Second Century Capital Campaign. The campaign has already raised 91% of its goal for $24 million worth of work to be completed ahead of the Theatre’s 100th anniversary in 2026, part of a plan to invest $30 million over the next several years.
But Bell’s influence extends far beyond the Bay area. During his tenure, Tampa Theatre has been named among the “World’s Most Beautiful Cinemas” by the BBC, one of “America’s 21 Wonders” by LIFE magazine, and one of the “10 of the World’s Best Movie Theaters” by the Motion Picture Association of America.
He is a past president and longtime board member of the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT), where he has mentored generations of theatre managers and advocated nationally for the preservation of historic performance spaces. The organization recently recognized him with the Joseph Rosenberg Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution.
“I’ve had the privilege of spending my life in remarkable theatres and with countless remarkable people,” Bell said. “Tampa Theatre has been my passion and my purpose, and it’s been the honor of a lifetime to be part of its story.”
The Theatre’s Board of Directors has retained Margaret Genovese of Genovese Vanderhoof & Associates to conduct a comprehensive search for Bell’s successor. The new leader is expected to be identified and announced next spring, ahead of the Theatre’s 100th anniversary in October, 2026.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Jill Witecki at jill@tampatheatre.org or (813) 274-8287
Built in 1926, Tampa Theatre is a passionately protected landmark and one of America’s best-preserved movie palaces. The majestic building is owned by the City of Tampa and operated as a dynamic film and cultural center by the not-for-profit Tampa Theatre Foundation. Programming is sponsored in part by the City of Tampa and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. Additional support is provided by generous individual donors and Tampa Theatre Members. Tampa Theatre is a proud member of the League of Historic American Theatres and the Art House Convergence.