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Fort Pierce, FL (February 23, 2026) — ������ (The River) is proud to announce that Joe Wilson, assistant technical director at The River’s performing and visual arts department, has been awarded the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Gold Medallion.  

Wilson received the award, which is the most prestigious regional honor in collegiate theatre education, at the 58th  Festival, held in Montgomery, Alabama. 

“Supporting the American College Theatre Festival has always been about celebrating excellence in collegiate theatre and providing students with access to tools and experiences beyond their home institutions that allow them to grow as artists,” said Wilson. “I am incredibly proud and profoundly humbled to be counted among the recipients of the Gold Medallion and will work hard to live up to its legacy.” 

The Gold Medallion is awarded to individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theater, and who have demonstrated deep commitment to the development of the American College Theatre Festival. According to the Festival, the Medallion honors those who have “significantly dedicated their time, artistry and enthusiasm” to ACTF and to excellence in educational theatre — and is widely regarded as one of the great honors in the field. 

Wilson, a Port St. Lucie resident, has served on the ACTF Region IV leadership team for 14 years, working behind the scenes to maintain the region’s technical infrastructure — including its website, conference registration, scheduling, and payment systems. In 2022, he received the region’s Unsung Hero Award in recognition of his pivotal role in steering the festival through the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he managed two consecutive years of fully virtual conferences — ensuring that students across the region retained access to professional development resources, scholarship competitions, and industry connections during an unprecedented disruption to campus life. 

“Joe is an invaluable member of our team and an essential part of the ACTF Region IV community,” said Alex Kanter, Associate Dean of English, Philosophy & Performing Arts. “His commitment to ACTF Region IV and to our students here at ������ has been extraordinary. We are incredibly proud of him, and this honor is a well-deserved acknowledgment of his lasting contributions to theatre education.” 

The award was presented by Starr Garrett, Vice-Chair of ACTF Region IV. 

The honor adds to a history of regional recognition for ������ Performing Arts as a whole. The program has twice been selected to present productions at the ACTF Region IV Festival — a distinction earned by only four to six programs per season from the region’s participating schools. The River was selected in 2011 for Hunting Aliens by David Moberg, and again in 2024 for Labyrinth of Love by Sor Juana, in an original translation and adaptation by Alex Kanter. 

The American College Theatre Festival is a national organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in collegiate theatre and supporting the development of college theatre students through professional workshops, scholarship competitions, industry networking, and the work of a nationwide network of respondents who attend and evaluate participating schools’ productions. 

���������Ǵڴڱ�������������dz������ٱ�����𲵰������programs in performing and visual arts, providing students with a strong foundation in theory and hands-on learning through one-on-one lessons, ensembles, and live productions. The A.A. degree is flexible enough to let students customize their path — a theatre student might add dance courses, while a music student can focus on education or a specific instrument. Beyond the classroom, ������ serves as a cultural hub for the region, hosting multiple staged productions each year and offering performance opportunities through ensembles like Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Combo, all within the McAlpin Fine Arts Center’s 632-seat theatre, black box theater, galleries, and studios. Graduates go on to pursue bachelor’s degrees or launch careers with entertainment companies, cruise lines, music studios, and digital media outlets — equipped with the same principles taught at four-year universities.