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Michael Angell

Pistocelli Services, Founder

Dr. Angell is a passionate advocate of inclusion in music throughout the educational spectrum. An expert in nonprofit development and arts program evaluation, he draws from his diverse background to create and support innovative arts programs.

Elisabeth Babcock

Babcock Strategy, Consultant

Dr. Babcock is a nationally recognized CEO and social innovator. She has created four non-profit organizations and assisted Equity Arc in the creation of their first strategic framework. Her goal is to bring her expertise in social program strategy, design, and implementation to organizations wishing to create breakthrough outcomes.

Abra Bush

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean

For more than 20 years, Dr. Bush has spearheaded initiatives in higher education and community arts programs to ensure student success. She also works with leaders and executives to help their organizations reach their potential and achieve catalytic change.

Jenn Chang

National Arts Advocate

Ms. Chang is an innovative leader with a background in public administration and strategic leadership. As a former senior Biden-Harris administration appointee who served as the Chief of Staff at the National Endowment for the Arts, Ms. Chang is skilled in navigating policy landscapes, enhancing advocacy efforts, and developing organizational systems and processes.

Mark Churchill

El Sistema USA, Founder

An avid advocate for the improvement and expansion of music education programs in American Schools, Dr. Churchill is the founder and served as first director of El Sistema USA. Throughout his performing and education careers, he has advocated for and supported BIPOC musicians, emphasizing professional training for pre-college students and adults.

Charles Grode

Board Chair

Merit School of Music, President and Executive Director

Mr. Grode is a seasoned leader in arts and education, with more than 20 years’ experience in organizational, relationship, resource and staff development. He is passionate about the potential that musical instruction unlocks and is driven to create access to that experience.

Alisa Kuno

Financial Management Professional

Over the past thirty years, Ms. Kuno has been a leading force in financial growth and strategic initiatives for businesses around the world, successfully managing cross-border acquisitions and integrations. She is eager to draw from her background in financial and operational growth strategies to support arts organizations as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of their field.

Katherine Drago Luellen

New England Conservatory, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Chief Growth Officer 

Ms. Luellen is a proven leader with an unparalleled ability to understand and meet the needs of prospective students and their families. She is dedicated to creating partnerships, funding sources, and pathways for students to music training programs.

Emily Liao Master

Board Treasurer

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Vice President and General Manager of Operations

Always in the pursuit of excellence, Ms. Master seeks to disrupt the status quo by helping people and organizations to see, think, and act differently—with attention to equity, access, and inclusion. For more than 20 years, she has helped shape policies, practices, and programs to make the arts, ranging from performing to visual, more widely accessible and appreciated.

Alison Melick

Independent Advisor

Ms. Melick brings over four decades of experience in financial services risk management. She serves as an independent advisor to financial institution boards and executive teams, with expertise in credit risk, risk governance, and regulatory compliance. She is passional about talent development and knowledge transfer and is dedicated to work focused on equity, youth, and arts education.

Maria Mathieson

Choral Arts Society of Washington, Executive Director

Ms. Mathieson is a dedicated and proven community arts leader who strives to provide educational opportunities to students of all ages, skill levels, and financial means to find their voice and creative expression through the arts. She is committed to ensuring equitable access to the arts for all.

David Muller

Retired Financial and Investment Professional

Mr. Muller has more than 20 years’ experience in the investment management business, serving in roles from credit analysis to portfolio management, product management, and business development to client relationship management. A former bassoonist and Board Chair of the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras, he passionate about using his expertise in businesses development to uplift the arts.

Ian Saunders

Project STEP, Artistic Director

Dr. Saunders is a passionate proponent of orchestras embracing the opportunities to establish meaningful relationships with the communities they serve. As Artistic Director for Project STEP, he advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the musical world.

Melanie Speight

Proskauer Rose LLP, Special Employment Counsel

Ms. Speight is a seasoned employment law attorney and federal litigator with extensive experience in complex civil litigation, trial advocacy, and workplace law. A veteran of over twenty federal jury trials as lead counsel, she has also served as a senior litigator for the NYC Law Department, taught as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, and trained attorneys nationwide through the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Deeply committed to equity in the legal profession, she co-chairs the Federal Bar Council’s Diversity Committee and mentors emerging legal professionals.

Stefanie Wakeman

Human Services Consultant

Ms. Wakeman bridges the worlds of classical music, social justice, and equity through a lens of education. Her background in social work informs her use of classical music to recognize, create, and build equity, weaving music into the healing and health of communities.

Sheila Williams

Author and Librettist

Ms. Williams is an acclaimed author and librettist known for works like The Secret Women, Things Past Telling, and No Better Time, power stories that centers themes of identity, resilience, and sisterhood. She is a champion for the arts and uses her expertise to enrich the narrative and outreach efforts of nonprofit organizations.