Key Executive Staff

Art McMaster, President and CEO

Art McMaster serves as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Miss America Organization. He works closely with the Organization’s Board of Directors to lead and manage all organizational operations including finance, administration, security and production. Additionally, Mr. McMaster oversees an organization with fifty-two state scholarship programs, sponsorship development and serves as executive producer of the Miss America Pageant.

Art McMaster brings more than 20 years of international financial and executive management experience to his position. He joined the Miss America Organization in 1999 as Controller. Mr. McMaster was promoted to the position of Vice President of Finance in 2000, Acting President / CEO in 2004 and Permanent President & CEO in 2007.

Prior to joining the Miss America Organization, Mr. McMaster served as Senior Planner and Assistant to Vice President for Saudi Arabian Oil Company in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Previous to that Mr. McMaster served as Controller for the engineering firm of Day and Zimmerman and also served as Field Administration Manager for Raytheon Engineers, Philadelphia. In both capacities he was involved in corporate strategic planning, the development of hundred million dollar budgets and the creation of financial management and reporting systems.

Mr. McMaster earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Missouri, and has completed the Executive Financial Management Program at the University of Michigan. Active in his community Mr. McMaster serves as a Eucharistic Minister with the Holy Family Parish and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Mr. McMaster resides in Sewell, New Jersey, with his wife Theresa. He has three daughters and two grandchildren.

Michael Allegretto, Director of Operations

Michael Allegretto is the former Executive Director of the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation. He became a volunteer in the Miss America Program in 1995, and also served a two-year term on the board of the National Association of Miss America State Pageants (NAMASP).

Michael is now retired from the city of Ocean City, New Jersey - Recreation Division where he worked for 35 years, most recently as the Director of Recreations and Special Events. He is the recipient of the Cape May County Golden Whelk Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Tourism and also the Sportsperson of the Decade award for his work with the youth of Ocean City. Michael is a veteran of the United States Naval Reserve and has been married to his wife Kathy for 36 years. They have a daughter Kristi, son Michael, daughter-in-law Lisa, two grandchildren Kari and Gavin, and are expecting their third grandchild next spring.

Sharon Pearce, Director of Communications

Sharon Pearce has joined the Miss America Organization as the acting Director of Communications. Pearce has been a casino resort industry veteran in Atlantic City for the last 22 years and held the position of Regional Vice President of Advertising and Public Relations for the last 12 years for Caesars Entertainment. Pearce most recently oversaw the efforts for Bally's, Caesars and Hilton Casino Resorts. She has also work for the Trump Organization and was a member of the pre-opening teams for Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal. Pearce was responsible for managing an $ 11 million annual budget as well as overseeing the in-house media buying efforts for 22 markets in the Eastern and Mid-South regions of the country.

Pearce will be responsible for handling all internal and external communications efforts for the Miss America Organization as well as securing publicity appearances for Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry.

She currently resides in Ventnor, New Jersey with her husband and daughter.