Rachna Bhasin, Tim Bucher And Geoff Cottrill Comprise New Leadership Trio For The GRAMMY Foundation® Board With Rusty Rueff As Chair Emeritus
Pamela Alexander Joins GRAMMY Foundation Board
Jody Gerson, Olivia Harrison, James Higa, Mike Knobloch, Michael McDonald And
Kirdis Postelle Join MusiCares® Board
Santa Monica, Calif. — The GRAMMY Foundation® and MusiCares Foundation® — the affiliated charities of The Recording Academy® — announced that their respective Boards have elected new Officers and Members. The new GRAMMY Foundation Board officers are Chair Tim Bucher, CEO, Lyve Minds Inc.; Vice Chair Geoff Cottrill, chief marketing officer of Converse; Secretary/Treasurer Rachna Bhasin, senior vice president of corporate strategy and business development at SiriusXM. The new Chair Emeritus is Rusty Rueff, venture startup investor and advisor. Ryan Seacrest, TV and radio host/producer, continues in his role as Honorary Chair of the GRAMMY Foundation Board.
For the MusiCares Foundation, the Board leadership remains the same with Chair Bill Silva, president, Bill Silva Entertainment; Vice Chair Alexandra Patsavas, owner of Chop Shop Music Supervision; and Secretary/Treasurer Arnie Herrmann, CPA, partner of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP. Scott Pascucci, managing director of Concord Music Group, is the MusiCares Foundation Chair Emeritus.
The newly elected GRAMMY Foundation Board Member is Pamela Alexander, director of community development for Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. The new MusiCares® Board Members are Jody Gerson, currently, co-president Sony/ATV Music Publishing, (chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing, in January); Olivia Harrison, author and film producer; James Higa, executive director, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation and mentor in residence, Index Ventures; Mike Knobloch, president, film music and publishing at Universal Pictures and Recording Academy Trustee; Michael McDonald, co-founder of ATO Records and artist management company Mick Management; and Kirdis Postelle, senior vice president of marketing for Capitol Music Group.
“The Board Members of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares are genuinely committed individuals who support the missions and programs of their respective Foundations in a range of significant ways,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the GRAMMY Foundation, MusiCares and The Recording Academy. “We’re fortunate to have such a diverse group of high-level innovative thinkers on the Boards of our Foundations to ensure our institutional progress and continued growth.”
The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1988 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students’ musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation partnered to present their first Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the Music Educator Award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards ceremony during GRAMMY Week 2015. For more information about the Music Educator Award, please visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like “GRAMMY in the Schools” on Facebook, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter (@GRAMMYFdn) and join us on Instagram (@GRAMMYFdn).
Established more than 20 years ago by The Recording Academy, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like “MusiCares” on Facebook, follow MusiCares on Twitter (@MusiCares), and join us on Instagram (@MusiCares).
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards® — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like “The GRAMMYs” on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs’ social communities on Foursquare, GetGlue, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.