Donnie Brawner, President, Principal Designer & Consultant
Donnie Brawner Profile .PDF
Donnie Brawner started his career 20 years ago in his hometown of St. Louis, MO, designing lighting for projects at Six Flags prior to being named Entertainment Supervisor of the Park’s six theatre properties. Freelance design and consultation work then led him to a position as Lighting Director of the Grand Palace Theatre, Branson MO’s largest theatre at 4,000 seats. Continued freelance work and having the Grand Palace named the 1992 CMA venue of the year would bring Donnie over 3,000 shows in five years, accelerating his design, management and consultation career.
Donnie spent three years working as a lighting designer, consultant and project manager on a wide range of projects with Downhome Productions, based in Springfield MO, and Nashville TN. Donnie started his corporate lighting work with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, added several consultation projects to the company’s services, and expanded the staff to facilitate a growing number of clients and projects. In 1998 he took on the role of supervisor and project manager for the company’s large scale design and production projects.
In September of 2000, Donnie and his wife Karen started Brawner & Associates, a lighting design, consultation and production firm that would continue to grow with work for Fortune 500 companies, theatrical stage productions and new facility design projects. In addition to Donnie’s role as the President and principal consultant / designer of the company, he spends time cultivating business opportunities and studying current project and industry practices to insure a superior product for his clients.
Donnie was honored to be involved in the 2000 Mexico Presidential Inauguration of President Vicente Fox at the 10,000-seat Auditorio Nacional Theatre in Mexico City. Donnie has also maintained a ten-year relationship with Flagler Productions and Wal-Mart as the lighting designer of countless multi-million dollar corporate meetings for the retail giant, as well as multiple nationwide satellite broadcast concerts.
"Gloria A Thousand Voices Sing Christmas" Regis & Kathy Lee from Branson, MO, Point Of Grace “A Christmas Story” and “Garth Brooks Live” are among his television credits. Several high profile churches request his design services for HD television broadcast, in addition to his talents for lighting large scale, “story of Christ” theatrical pageantry, such as the 7,000-seat Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, TX.
Donnie has been involved in numerous facility design projects from renovations to new construction. Facilities include church worship centers to children's theatres, amphitheatres, acedemic spaces, themed attractions and theatrical facilities. Donnie project managed the scenic and lighting installation of a 4D EFX Theatre in Atlanta, GA, for SDC Entertainment.
Since 2002 Donnie Brawner has been partners with Ron Robertson in a secondary company, "Radiant Creations" which produces lighting and laser special effects shows. Donnie, Karen and daughters Ashley & Lauren reside in Springfield, MO.
