A native of the Greater Cincinnati area, Missy Whitis taught public and private school music and drama for over 15 years. She holds a BME from Eastern Kentucky University, and has taught in schools that vary in location from the coal mining hills of Eastern Kentucky, to Kissimmee, Florida -- where she served as the music supervisor for the International Baccalaureate program. Missy is a four-time honoree into Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers, and has been recognized in Who’s Who Among American Professional Women.
Aside from teaching and directing, Missy also freelances as a clinician and coach in different venues across the country. She is often called upon to speak on generational workplace issues, and the use of improvisation in all environments. She, herself, has been lucky enough to study under Paul Sills, cofounder and original director of Second City, and at the renowned SAK Comedy Lab. Her students and troupe members have been recognized nationally for their improvisational skills and innovative formats. Missy created the improvisation track at the two-time TONY-award winning Playhouse In The Park, and is the founding director of the hip, popular, award-nominated troupes, “The Middle Child”, “The Grapes of Laugh”, “The Q City Players”, and “The House Band”. She and members of the QCP and Middle Child have produced commercials, as well as a comedy television pilot. The troupes finished a low-budget film in August of 2009. This improvised film went on to win many awards in the festival circuit, and was released on DVD mid-2011. And over the past few years, “The Middle Child” has been highly under consideration by TED organizers to perform at an event.
When not teaching Musical Theatre voice class as part of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music's Prep program, Missy’s busy schedule is filled with invitations to speak at schools, churches, civic organizations, conferences, and on television and the radio. She also is asked to give workshops on not only improv and theatre issues, but team building, leadership, and creative business techniques – which are finding her international recognition. Missy, (who, only a couple of years ago was recognized by the Ohio Community Theatre Association for Outstanding Vocal Direction of the regional premiere of “Rent”), is becoming a sought after writer, as well. You can find Missy’s witty and poignant articles in on-line magazines, Technorati, and national print magazines- in which one housed her own column created by the editors especially for her comedic talents.
Missy has worked with Procter & Gamble, GE Aviation, Vera Bradley, Hershey, Luxottica, Brown Publishing, Northlich, LPK, the PRSA, Ad2Cincy, Phototype/Gravity, Ronald McDonald House, Perfetti-Van Melle, Bare Escentuals Make-Up. Heyman Talent Agency, Gyro, Bank of Kentucky, xpedx, University of Cincinnati, Wells Fargo, Leadership Cincinnati, Educational Theatre Association, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, countless schools and churches across the country, the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, private corporate special events, and even the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators.
Currently, Missy is an instructor in the newest department at the University of Cincinnati - the Digital Media Collaborative. There she teaches television, how to create an original webseries, and introduction to screenwriting. You can also find her guest lecturing in several other departments on campus.
On top of that, Missy is a two time Cancer survivor, and was named the 2009 “Woman Against All Odds” by the Cincinnati Leading Women Foundation. Also in 2009, she was nominated as one of the “40 under Forty” for Cincinnati Business Courier Magazine. And in 2010, Missy was ranked in the top 2% of the “Most Influential People on the Web” by Fast Company magazine.