FWCD Welcomes New Director of Fine Arts

Head of School Eric Lombardi named Lindy Heath Fort Worth Country Day’s next Director of Fine Arts. She will begin her duties on July 1, 2024. Heath is finishing her school year at Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, where she is a Theatre Teacher and Chair of FWAFA’s Theatre Department. Heath replaces Chelsy Beninate, who has been Director of Fine Arts since 2018. In the 2023-24 school year, Beninate added the Assistant Head of School for Operations and Security role to her responsibilities. “We are fortunate to be able to allow the Fine Arts and Assistant Head roles to each have their own highly qualified leader,” Lombardi said. 

In a national search, four finalists were brought to campus to spend the day at school; meet with faculty, students, and the Senior Leadership Team; and teach a class. Heath rose to the top. 

 “I am so thankful to pass the torch to Lindy. Our Fine Arts Department is full of teachers who love students and have a great passion for the arts,”  Beninate said. “We are in a great place as a department, and I know Lindy will love becoming a part of this wonderful community while helping push the program to even greater levels.” 

Lombardi added, “Chelsy’s shoes as our Director of Fine Arts are big. Lindy will wear a different pair, but she will fill those, bringing with her a rich variety of high-level experience and wonderfully deep relationships across the arts community of Fort Worth. Our goal at Fort Worth Country Day is always to be looking to improve. Lindy is excited to inherit a vibrant performing and visual arts team and program.”

A graduate of Texas Christian University with a B.A. in Theatre, Heath is an educator at heart, having served as a Teacher, Director and Department Chair. She has worked at FWAFA for the past nine years, teaching high school and advanced acting classes; overseeing the operations of the Theatre Department, including hiring all teachers, creative collaborators and outside talent; creating production calendars in partnership with other school departments; and collaborating with the principal, superintendent and CEO on growth ideas in the fine arts. Heath was named one of Fort Worth Magazine’s Top 10 Teachers in 2021. 

Heath’s career began at Casa Mañana Theatre, where she took on myriad responsibilities over 16 years. She performed in over 75 children’s shows, summer musicals, and plays and taught theatre, movement, singing and art classes to students from age 3 to adults. Heath has also selected, directed and choreographed over 75 productions, writing original scripts and hiring actors and teachers. 

As Performance Director of the PBS series Barney & Friends from 2004 until its series finale in 2010, she developed new ideas and themes for episodes, cast children and adult actors, oversaw choreography and blocking, and collaborated with the arranger on music and the camera operators and editors on the final product. 

Overlapping with her service at Casa Mañana and Barney & Friends, Heath was the Associate Director of Music and Worship for the First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. While there, she taught preschool music and directed the children’s choir, creating musicals and performances for students; co-directed the church’s youth choir; and produced special worship services for holidays, dedications, and ceremonies, incorporating art, music, dance, and theatre. 

Engaged in the Fort Worth arts community, Heath partnered with Amphibian Stage, allowing FWAFA students to learn from the professionals in that nonprofit theatre company. She helped develop the curriculum that Circle Theatre shares with other teachers for their high school playwriting competition. She maintains relationships with local museums, symphonies and theatre companies, allowing her to connect students within our artistically rich community. While Heath’s primary training and experience is in the performing arts, her appreciation and love of the visual arts has led to many collaborations with art students, teachers and docents.

Heath looks forward to becoming a Falcon. “I am thrilled and honored to join the Fort Worth Country Day family,” she said. “I am excited to share my passion for the arts with students and the wonderfully talented staff and discover ways I can help our community bring the arts to life. I’m looking forward to meeting your family and am excited to start this new journey.”