Mimi Katano has seen and experienced just about everything during her 26 years serving the Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN) community on Mercer Island.

The many steps she’s taken and positions she’s held at YTN include teaching artist, box office worker, partnership coordinator, associate artistic director, artistic director and finally co- and sole executive artistic director.

It’s now graduation time, said Katano, who will step down from her position on June 30 at the close of YTN’s 40th season. There will be two YTN graduates in the family as her 18-year-old son has aged-out of the theater’s programming after spending copious years in the facility.

“He had been very much a part of YTN because he didn’t really have a choice. He was in child care, and it’s just such a child-friendly environment to raise a child in,” said Katano, adding that she feels it’s a good time to move on with her son.

The YTN community connection is strong and a gift that Katano will take with her and continue to nurture, she said. Through her life-changing experience, she’s formed forever friendships with staff and students and is part of a theater family.

“I’ve said many times that the best part when you’re here for that long, you see what happens to the kids — who went through a programming — after they become grownups,” she said. “There are kids who I knew them when they were 8 and now they’re in their late 30s or what have you. To see and to stay in touch with many of them and to see what they’re doing now.”

Some of those alumni have returned to YTN to help with productions and serve on the board. It’s rewarding for Katano to see that those alumni have understood the value of YTN’s programming and find joy in giving back.

Katano said the program needs some fresh leadership and she’s placing it in the good hands of Program Director Cory Southwell — who will take on the role of producing program director — and Director of Operations and Finance Theresa Heeren — who will step into the managing director role.

Southwell, who joined YTN in 2012, said of his new role: “It’s incredibly exciting. I think what’s been maybe the most heartwarming for me is seeing the students and families really get behind the leadership announcement. Students that I’ve worked with since they were little itty bitties, now teens, have been really, really special.”

Added Heeren, who has been part of the YTN team for six months: “I’m over the moon to be part of it. When they brought up the change of making two leaders of the organization, one that’s the money and kind of the networking brain with the artistic programming that Cory brings, I felt it aligned exactly with where I want my next 25 years of employment to go.”

Next steps for Katano include launching her own production company, Za Trans-Pacific Productions, where she will “do more international work, artist/student exchanges between Seattle and Japan — in which, YTN is included — contribute to the Asian and Asian American theater community and doing some translation work. Of course, I will continue to be a part of YTN and support the organization that made me the artist I am,” she said in a press release.

Katano will continue directing on the Seattle theater scene, and this summer she will direct Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Wooden O production of “As You Like It” at Mercer Island’s Luther Burbank Park.

Upcoming YTN productions and events are: “Seussical the Musical Jr.” (May 2-18); Katano’s “A Story of Sadako” (May 30-June 8); Radio Drama: “War of the Worlds” (June 7-8); Chaos Theory: “Fakespeare in the Park” (June 13); and Faculty Showcase (June 14).

To donate to the theater’s emergency appeal and for more information, visit: https://youththeatre.org/.