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Board of Directors
View our board of directors below. Click on a profile to read more information.
Danner Schefler
chair
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Chair
Danner Schefler brings a wide range of experience in both her career history and volunteer work. Born and raised in Alabama, Danner attended the University of Alabama where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing. After college, Danner worked as a corporate travel agent with Inverness Travel and marketer for Stouffer Hotels, residing in both London and New York City, and during that period married her husband Arno Schefler. The pair relocated to Aspen in 1992 where they lived until 2018 before calling Santa Barbara home.
Danner is regarded as a well-established Thoroughbred Horse breeder and has been a serious art investor since 1979.
Throughout her residencies, Danner has given back to her communities through her committed service on boards and committees. She served on the awards committee for the Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, was a founding board member for the Housing Works Thrift Shops, acted as National Council Chair for the Aspen Art Museum, was Vice President for Les Dames d' Aspen, serving on the director’s council for the Museum of Contemporary Arts, and held several positions with the Aspen Music Festival and School; including board secretary, development chair, and special events chair.
Currently, Danner serves on the Museum Contemporaries with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and in several areas for the Birnam Wood Golf Club’s Women’s Golf Association, including as treasurer and on the house and homeowner’s committees.
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Susan Lichtenstein
vice chair
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Vice Chair
Distinction
Governance Committee Chair
Distinction
Strategic Planning Ad Hoc Committee Chair
Susan Lichtenstein is a retired healthcare executive, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Hill-Rom Holdings, a global medical device manufacturer, where she was responsible for government, regulatory and legal affairs, corporate communications, and corporate support services. She previously had similar responsibilities as Chief Legal Officer for Baxter International Inc., a $12+ billion diversified life sciences company. She also had C-suite positions in the telecom industry, where she was Senior Vice President and General Counsel for both Ameritech Corporation and Tellabs, Inc. Susan was a director of Aviv REIT (NYSE: AVIV), and has twice served in government, working for the Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of Illinois. She has managed and testified at Congressional hearings, dealt with cabinet-level officials and all levels of government agencies, legislatures, and the press, making strategic contributions in complex, multi-constituent settings. She began her career at Schiff Hardin & Waite, where she became an equity partner.
Susan has previously served on on the boards of Girls, Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, RUSH University Medical Center, the Civic Consulting Alliance of Chicago, and WTTW, Chicago’s public television station. A former music student and an avid supporter of the arts, Susan was a director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, serving on the Executive, Audit, and Nominating and Governance committees, and a trustee of the Ravinia Festival.
She and her husband, John Rokacz, are enthusiastic scholarship donors and patrons of the Music Academy, and enjoy being Compeers to cello fellows. They have two children, David and Rebecca, and have made Montecito their permanent home since 2020.
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Daniel Dokos
secretary
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Secretary
Daniel Dokos has had a distinguished 42-year career as a corporate finance lawyer, culminating in his retirement in December 2024 after 26 years as a partner at the prestigious New York law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. As the Global Chair of the firm’s finance practices and a nine-year member of its Management Committee, Dan played a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction and maintaining its reputation for excellence.
Dan was also a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, founding the firm’s LGBTQ+ affinity group in 2006 and championing initiatives to foster an inclusive workplace culture. Beyond his legal career, he has contributed to the arts as outside corporate counsel for New York City’s Roundabout Theatre.
In his free time, Dan enjoys playing the piano, studying the cello, and collaborating with his husband on residential real estate projects in Montecito and the Hamptons.
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Harrison Bains
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Distinction
Finance Committee Chair
Harrison (Mac) Bains has had a long career in Banking and Corporate Finance, including Senior Vice President of Chase Manhattan Bank, Senior Vice President and Treasurer of RJR Nabisco, and Acting Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Treasurer of Bristol-Myers Squibb. He has also served in leadership positions as a trustee or director on many for-profit and non-profit boards. These included: the Mercer Funds, in roles that included Chair and Chair of the Audit Committee; The Bank of America Funds; two bio-tech companies, serving as Chair of the Audit Committees of both; The Park Avenue Armory, where he is a Trustee Emeritus after serving many years as Finance Committee Chair; the American Battlefield Trust; and the University of Redlands, where he served as Investment Committee Chair. Mr. Bains holds a BA degree in Economics from the University of Redlands, an MBA in Finance from the University of California-Berkeley, and he attended the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
After a working career in and near New York City, Mr. Bains now resides in Montecito with his wife, Leslie, where they are near their two children and two grandchildren, all of whom reside in Southern California.
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Ellen Barger
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Distinction
Community Engagement Committee Co-Chair
Ellen Barger is the Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction, for the Santa Barbara County Education Office, where she provides service and leadership to the county’s 20 school districts. An educator for more than 30 years, Ms. Barger’s experience includes elementary, secondary, and post-secondary teaching and administration. She earned a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from The Ohio State University and Masters of Science in Secondary Education and Mathematics Education from CSU Fullerton, where she was named the Edwin Carr Fellow.
Ms. Barger is currently on the executive council of the statewide CCSESA Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee, is the chair of the mathematics subcommittee, and serves on multiple work groups for policy, instruction, and accountability. She offers a social justice lens to her service as a board member of TODOS and as a faculty member for the Institute for Equity in Education. Additionally, she serves as an active volunteer with Transition House and other Santa Barbara non-profits. She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband Tony Helf.
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Susan Berger
Board Member
ABOUT
distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Susan Black Berger spent 15 years in the financial services industry as an analyst and due diligence officer with various Los Angeles-based firms including Bateman Eichler, Citibank, Capital Group’s American Funds and Financial Network, before relocating to Philadelphia in 1995 to join Delaware funds.
Raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Susan began her college journey at UMass Amherst before attending a theater program at Webster University in St. Louis. She graduated from the University of Southern California with dual degrees in Economics and East Asian Studies. After her children were of school-age, Susan returned to her entrepreneurial roots and pursued her love of food and catering first by working as a chef for Wolfgang Puck Catering and then starting her own catering business. As her children grew up, she shifted more of her time to volunteer work and philanthropy including working with The Fulfillment Fund.
She has also served on an advisory committee for the American Contemporary Ballet company in Los Angeles. Susan currently lives in Santa Bargara with her husband, where Susan has contributed her time and resources to various community organizations such as Newcomers, The Santa Barbara Symphony, Music Academy of the West, and The Women’s Fund. Susan and her husband have been members of the Young Presidents’ Organization for over 25 years. Susan enjoys tending to her micro-farm and cooking, biking, sailing, theater, music, and extensive travel.
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Robert Boghosian, PhD
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Robert (Bob) Boghosian, PhD, has spent his career in executive leadership roles across the diagnostic and pharmaceutical sectors of the healthcare industry. Born and raised in New York City, he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the City College of New York before completing both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Seton Hall University. He began his professional career at Warner-Lambert and later joined Johnson & Johnson, where he led Research and Development for Ortho Diagnostics, followed by senior general management and corporate compliance roles.
Bob subsequently held senior executive and board-level positions at Dade-Behring Diagnostics, Elan Pharmaceutical in Dublin, Ireland, and Beckman Instruments in California, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer. He also served on the advisory board of the Biological Engineering Department at the University of California, Irvine, before retiring in 2008.
Since relocating to Santa Barbara in 2015, Bob and his wife, Beth Gates Warren, have been deeply engaged in the region’s cultural life. Longtime supporters of the Music Academy of the West, they have served as Compeers since 2018 and are sponsors of the Summer Music Festival’s String Quartet Seminar. Bob also serves on the board of Santa Barbara’s Community Arts Music Association (CAMA) and supports numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Camerata Pacifica, Habitat for Humanity, research at City of Hope Cancer Center, ASAP Cats, and the Ojai Raptor Center. A lifelong lover of classical music, Bob remains committed to advancing the arts and supporting music education.
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Mally Chakola
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Auxiliary Chair, 2023
Distinction
Marketing & Communications Committee Chair
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Mally Chakola is a disciplined, tenacious attorney and entrepreneur with a track record of employing vision and judgment to create actionable plans amid complex challenges. She has practiced corporate law for nearly 20 years, in parallel with owning and operating multiple businesses. Mally attended New York University (NYU) earning a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, cumme laude, and received a Juris Doctor from Pace Law School. A member of the bars of both New York State and Connecticut, she began her career practicing mergers and acquisitions in New York City.
Some of the most fulfilling highlights of Mally’s career have been:
- Single-handedly procuring $100 million in capital raises and financings as a deal maker for her sphere of companies, leading to doubled enterprise growth and the creation of over 100 American jobs.
- Founding a luxury, fast moving consumer goods brand that launched in the prestigious Fred Segal with direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and retail sales and garnering over 200+ million media impressions from Success magazine to Harper’s Bazaar and HGTV.
- Creating the “Beauty Cottage” on Abbott Kinney (dubbed at the time “the Coolest Block in America” according to GQ magazine) in Venice, California, where she built an experiential retail space to elevate women's self-care by nurturing their well-being and business skills.
- Establishing Mally Chakola LLC in 2024, a transformational consulting and education company by which Mally works to support growth mindset individuals and organizations seeking to turn their goals into reality.
She serves as a director and committee member of numerous nonprofits in support of education, the environment, the arts, and DEIB.
Mally plays the Celtic harp, studied Mohiniyattam Indian Folk dance, and was a certified ballerina (The Cecchetti Council of America). In her free time, she enjoys writing and adventuring with her daughter, Fleur and husband, Dean Jackson.
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Ted Cronin
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Distinction
Investment Committee Chair
Ted Cronin, founding partner of Manchester Capital Management, LLC, joined the Music Academy Board of Directors in November 2017. Recognized for many years in Barron’s as one of the top independent financial advisors in America, Mr. Cronin has been honored with numerous industry awards and is a frequent guest speaker at industry conferences. A member of the Explorers’ Club, he is active in numerous civic and charitable organizations, including former member of the Vermont Business Roundtable, former Trustee of the Village of Manchester, past Chairman of the Board of the Vermont Natural Resources Council, and former member of the Advisory Board of Charles Schwab. Mr. Cronin received his bachelor’s degree from Williams College and completed coursework at both Harvard Business School and the New York Institute of Finance. He then founded Manchester Capital as a family office, dedicated to caring for the assets of related families.
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Rachel Fine
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Alumni
1988
Distinction
Alumni Committee Chair
Rachel Fine is the Executive Director of the Yale Schwarzman Center (YSC), Yale University’s first-ever center for student life and the arts, and former Executive Director & CEO of The Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center. Together with the board of directors and administrative team, she established The Wallis as a major player and leading cultural organization in Los Angeles’ burgeoning arts scene.
At The Wallis, she demonstrated dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access; built dynamic artistic partnerships and projects between The Wallis and Los Angeles’ cultural organizations; launched and implemented a $55 million campaign, which more than doubled the organization’s endowment and established a healthy cash reserve in the campaign’s first year; and steered and managed The Wallis successfully through the pandemic. Prior to her tenure at The Wallis, Rachel served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (2010-2015) and Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (2007-2010). In 2009, she founded and built the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus’ Young Men’s Ensemble, a rare chorus for boys with changing voices, which has toured the United States, Canada, Cuba, Vatican City, and Mexico City. Rachel has also held leadership positions at the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, Aspen Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera, and The Juilliard School, among others. She is a proud alumna of the Music Academy, which she attended in 1988 as a solo piano fellow.
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Bridget Foreman
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Distinction
Compeer Committee & Audit Committee Chair
Bridget Foreman, CPA joined Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, LLP in 2003, becoming a partner in 2009. Her specialties include closely held businesses and individual taxation for high net worth individuals.
A significant part of Bridget’s business practice focuses on partnership taxation and entity structure. She is accomplished in evaluating complex financial transactions, including acquisitions, purchase price allocations and eventual dispositions.
Bridget integrates tax planning, compliance and consulting services for her clients as well as orchestrates the efforts of their other advisors, including investment managers, attorneys, bankers and insurance agents. She has frequently been recognized as one of the “Top 50 Women in Business” by the Pacific Coast Business Times.
During the course of her career, Bridget spent six years working within the hospitality market sector at a four-star hotel and resort in various capacities ranging from credit manager to leading the internal audit department. In addition, she is well versed in the financial services issues faced by franchisees of national restaurant chains. This related work experience has proved invaluable for her clientele.
Bridget received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Economics and German Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Today, a mother of two, Bridget’s top personal priority is spending quality time with her family. When she manages to find a quiet moment, Bridget enjoys reading and relaxing on the beach. She also values community involvement and is on the Board of Directors of CALM and the Lobero Theatre.
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Janet Garufis
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Janet Garufis is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Montecito Bank & Trust, with more than 50 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry. She began her career as a teller with Security Pacific Bank (now Bank of America) and advanced through retail, commercial, and private banking leadership roles after completing the Security Pacific Management Training Program. She joined Montecito Bank & Trust in 2004, became President and CEO in 2006, and was named Chairman of the Board in 2017.
Born in Los Angeles, Janet graduated from Marymount High School and attended UCLA before earning both B.A. and M.A. degrees from California State University Northridge. After relocating to Santa Barbara in 2002, she pursued doctoral studies in Composition and Rhetoric at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. In 2022 Fielding University awarded Janet the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Humane Letters for her leadership and contributions to Fielding and the Community.
Janet is deeply engaged in civic and nonprofit leadership at the local, regional, and national levels. She currently serves on the Pacific Bankers Management Institute’s Board of Directors and the California Bankers Association’s Board of Directors, and has served as Chair of the Western Independent Bankers Association and as National President of the Federal Reserve Bank’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. She currently serves as Chair of the Santa Barbara Symphony and holds board or advisory roles with organizations including the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, the UCSB Economic Forecast Project, and the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. Her leadership and community service have been widely recognized with numerous regional and national honors. She previously served on the Music Academy Board from 2016 - 2019.
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Todd Gerber
Board Member
ABOUT
distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Todd Gerber is a marketing executive currently serving as Vice President of Go-to-Market & Sales for Adobe, Inc. focusing on helping businesses unlock their creative potential and drive impactful outcomes with Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and Acrobat applications across desktop, web and mobile platforms. During his tenure at Adobe, he developed the Acrobat freemium business into a multi-billion dollar revenue stream and led the document productivity business unit transition from perpetual to subscription-based recurring revenue.
Prior to Adobe, he served in a variety of leadership positions at HP, Inc. focusing on digital marketing to drive brand engagement and direct revenue through HP.com.
He received his master's degree in English with a specialization in scientific and technical communication from Bowling Green State University and his bachelor's degree in English and Psychology from Heidelberg University.
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Cheryl Goldberg
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Cheryl Goldberg is a technology executive and philanthropist with a commitment to music education and the arts. A native of Illinois, she earned a degree in History with a minor in German Literature from Northern Illinois University and an MBA with a concentration in Information Technology from the University of Chicago, including a formative year of study in Salzburg, Austria.
Cheryl built a successful career designing and implementing computer systems for major organizations including Sears, Roebuck and Co., Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Crown Zellerbach, and Union Pacific Railroad’s Electronics Research and Development Group.
A devoted supporter of the Music Academy of the West, Cheryl is the Founding Contributor to the Music Academy’s future Music Education Center. Her transformative $20 million gift honors the legacy of her late husband, Michael Goldberg, and reflects her belief in the power of music to enrich communities.
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Andrea Hein
Board Member
ABOUT
distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Andrea Hein is a retired entertainment industry executive focusing on licensing and merchandising. During a 15-year career with Paramount Pictures and Viacom, Inc. she was the President of Viacom Consumer Products, which licensed and merchandised movie and tv properties including Star Trek, Forrest Gump, Mission Impossible and Cheers. Her experience covered a broad spectrum of licensing ventures such as restaurants, exhibits, events, theme park attractions, stage plays, and consumer products.
Prior to Paramount, she was vice president of merchandising for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, responsible for national promotions and product placement for the James Bond franchise, among others. She began her licensing career in entertainment at Lucasfilm Ltd., with a focus on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties.
After Paramount, Andrea was a licensing consultant, providing business development, marketing, and growth solutions for select clients. She is also an expert witness in cases involving intellectual property disputes.
She received her M.A. in education from the University of Memphis and her B.S. in education from the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
Andrea is a member of The Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences and was a founding board member of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurants. She was also a long-time child advocate with CASA Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, served on the 2021 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury, and is a founding member of Hands Across Montecito. She and her husband, Ron love to travel, and enjoy classic sports cars which Ron has restored to perfection.
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Kandy Luria-Budgor
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Kandy Luria-Budgor and her husband Dr. Aaron Budgor have lived in Montecito for the last 15 years, with family roots in the community since the mid-1950s. Her career has spanned Counseling and Psychology (in which she holds her Master’s degree) for 10 years in corporate settings (mostly in the Los Angeles area), specializing in addiction, career counseling, and short-term therapy, to 20 years in real estate in Washington D.C., including land acquisition, building, and residential sales.
After moving back to Santa Barbara, Kandy took over running The Luria Company and the Luria Foundation, both started by her father Eli Luria. The Luria/Budgor Family Foundation is a philanthropic entity which gives to four specific organizations: Music Academy of the West, Jewish Federation, Santa Barbara City College, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Kandy has served on the Music Academy of the West’s Board of Directors for nine years, also leading as Chair of the Building, Instruments, and Grounds Committee. Additionally, she served on the Board of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation and was Chair of the Friends of the Luria Library and served on the Committee for President’s Scholarships. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Museum of Art and is on the Collections Committee. Kandy served on the Board of Ensemble Theatre Company and PAL (Police Activity League). She has been instrumental in guiding community programs and organizations to success, such as Running Start 2—a program for high school students entering college, acquisition of the theatre for the Ensemble Theatre Company, and building projects at Jewish Federation.
Currently, Ms. Budgor is completing a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art with Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York City.
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Thomas Orlando
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Distinction
Buildings & Grounds Committee Chair
Born in Burbank, Thomas Orlando grew up in the San Fernando Valley and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration at California State University, Northridge. Following a successful four-year stint as a sales associate with food and beverage wholesaler, Young’s Market Company, he joined the staff of Los Angeles-based manufacturing concern CTD Machines, Inc. where he became sales manager before becoming owner, President and CEO. He left the company when it was sold in 2007, and currently manages several industrial properties in Southern California.
Mr. Orlando currently serves as a director on the board of Daum Commercial Real Estate Services, and previously served on the boards for the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America and the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers. He was president of the latter trade organization’s board in 2002 and 2003.
Mr. Orlando previously served on the Music Academy Board of Directors from 2012 until 2022 where he helped oversee the reconstruction of the Marilyn Horne Main House and the construction of Hind Hall. He was the Chairperson for the Finance Committee for seven years during his previous terms. He has also served on the Investment Committee and the Buildings and Grounds Committee as well as the Executive Committee.
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Charles (Charlie) Read
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Charles (Charlie) Read is an energy and public utilities attorney with extensive experience advising natural gas, pipeline, electric, and telecommunications companies. Over the course of his legal career, he represented public utilities and their holding companies before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), other state regulatory agencies, and in state and federal courts. He has also advised investors, lenders, suppliers, and large customers across the energy and telecommunications sectors.
Charlie’s lifelong interest in classical music began while he was a student at Harvard University, where he hosted programs on WHRB-FM. He later served on the boards of the Music Center Operating Company and the Colburn School. In Santa Barbara, he is active in the cultural and civic community and enjoys wine collecting as a member of the Chevaliers du Tastevin.
Now enjoying semi-retirement from corporate law practice, Charlie has lived and worked in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. He now lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Eileen Read, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal.
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Stephanie Shuman
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Stephanie Shuman was born in England and moved to New York City in 1960. She is married to Fred Shuman and has two children and two grandchildren.
Mrs. Shuman attended both The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and Sarah Lawrence College.
Mrs. Shuman serves on the Boards of The Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, Lincoln Center Theater, and The International Center of Photography. The Shumans support The Shuman Fund for GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors) Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and are members of the PhotoFutures Committee of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Stephanie and Fred Shuman reside primarily in New York City and East Hampton, New York, and relocate to Santa Barbara, California during the winter months.
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Maurice Singer
ABOUT
Distinction
former Music Academy Board Chair
Born in New York City, Maurice Singer studied English and economics at the University of Vermont and went on to hold a succession of senior management positions in the film and television industry, including president of HBO Films and senior vice president at Home Box Office, Columbia Pictures Corp., and Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. Shortly after becoming a licensed financial advisor, he founded Los Angeles-based Riviera Capital Management in 1993, an independent firm specializing in wealth management, venture capital, and initial public offering consultation. Maurice is currently a founding principal at The Evergreen Advantage, a Real Estate Investment Trust based in Santa Monica with offices in Montecito. The firm has a real estate loan portfolio throughout the west coast. In addition to being a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the National Association of Television Broadcasters, Maurice has served as a board director for Tempra Technology and Qnext Corp, and The Industry, a Los Angeles-based opera company. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Ojai Music Festival. Maurice Singer served on Music Academy Board of Directors from January 2010 through December 2018 and returned to the Board in January 2020, serving as the Music Academy Board Chair from January 2023 through December 2024.
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Pamela Strobel
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Pamela B. Strobel is the retired executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Exelon and retired president of Exelon’s Business Services Company. She also served as chairman and CEO of Exelon Energy Delivery, the holding company for the corporation’s energy delivery businesses, PECO Energy in Philadelphia and ComEd in Chicago.
Prior to the merger of PECO and Unicom, Strobel was executive vice president of Unicom Corporation and its chief subsidiary, ComEd. She joined ComEd as General Counsel in 1993, prior to which she was a partner in the law firms of Sidley & Austin and Isham, Lincoln & Beale.
Currently, Strobel serves as a director of Illinois Tool Works Inc. and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, and is on the Board of Directors for the Music Academy of the West. She is a past trustee of the University of Illinois, life director and past chair of the Joffrey Ballet, life trustee and past chair of the Ravinia Festival, and life trustee and past chair of the Civic Consulting Alliance. She was a founding board member and past director of ChiArts, the first public high school for the arts in Chicago. She is also a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Strobel received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Illinois, where she was a Bronze Tablet recipient and a member of the law review.
She is married to Russ Strobel and they have two grown children, Ben and Libby.
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Peter R. Taffae
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Peter R. Taffae is retired insurance executive, most recently as Founder and Managing Partner of ExecutivePerils, Inc., which was sold to Goldman Sachs in 2022. A nationally recognized expert in executive and professional liability, Peter held senior positions and leadership roles at Marsh and Chubb.
Peter co-wrote the insurance industry’s first cyber insurance policy in 1996. Peter also created two proprietary new coverages, the first one dedicated to the franchise industry and the second, dedicated to the real estate related industries. Both provide protection unique to their industry and continue to be very successful. Recipient of numerous industry awards including Power Broker®, Risk Innovator, Hot 100 (five years) and Business Insurance’s Hall of Fame. Peter is frequently quoted in industry publications as well as The Wall Street Journal.
He currently serves on the boards of Simon Wiesenthal Center/ Museum of Tolerance (Governance/ Nominations and Audit), Ithaca College (Co-chair Audit and Buildings/Grounds), Music Academy of the West (Philanthropy and Marketing), Casa Dorinda (Operations and Marketing), and Taffae Family Foundation. Peter resides in Montecito, California.
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Kelly Teich
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Kelly’s immersion in the Montecito community began in 2005, when he joined the esteemed architectural firm, The Warner Group Architects, Inc., as an aspiring architect. Over the span of the past two decades, he has had the privilege of collaborating with clients in the creation of award-winning, bespoke residences spanning diverse architectural genres across Montecito, Santa Barbara, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Orange County, and even internationally. Now a principal architect who oversees the design process and management of the firm, Kelly assumes the role of President at The Warner Group Architects. Prior to his architectural career, Kelly earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he also met his beloved wife who is a pediatric occupational therapist based in Santa Barbara. Outside of architecture, Kelly explores the depths of the Santa Barbara coastline and the around the Channel Islands through his passion for scuba diving, as well as backpacking in the Eastern Sierras, all the while enjoying life alongside his wife and two sons.
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Joost Thesseling
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Joost Thesseling is an investor with more than 30 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions and private company investing. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SevenUnited Group, a Santa Barbara–based investment firm focused on investing in family and entrepreneur-owned companies and accelerating their growth.
Prior to founding SevenUnited Group, Joost was a Partner at CI Capital Partners, a New York-based investment firm. Earlier in his career, he held roles in finance, strategic planning, and mergers & acquisitions at Engelhard Corporation. Joost began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he advised private equity firms and corporate buyers on mergers & acquisitions.
Joost has extensive corporate board experience and previously served on the board of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Joost holds an MSc in Business Economics from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Pat Wadors
Board Member
ABOUT
distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Pat Wadors grew up as the youngest of eight siblings. She was diagnosed as dyslexic in college and has leaned on her neurodiversity as a strength. She is a mother of three millennials, grandmother x2, and wife of 30 years. An introvert by nature, Pat is an advocate for results over talk. She works feverishly to embrace the quieter voices and was inspired to write this book by her personal purpose: “I need to leave the world better than I found it, to be kind, to give more than I get, to make a difference.”
With a focus on helping people and companies thrive, Pat grew her career in Human Resources, serving as a Chief People Officer and HR leader for companies such as UKG, Yahoo!, LinkedIn, ServiceNow, Plantronics Inc., and Procore Technologies. Pat currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer at Intuitive. A multiple-time recipient of the National Diversity Council’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology award, Pat is renowned for her transformative and strategic leadership. She is a sought-after speaker on diversity, inclusion, and belonging topics. Pat earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Human Resource Administration and a minor in Psychology from Ramapo College of New Jersey.
In her book Unlock Your Leadership Story, Pat delivers a powerful discussion of the lessons we can draw from some of the most well-known stories in the world. In each chapter, she introduces a different fable or folktale, reflects on the story's morals, and uncovers how we can apply it to help us meet contemporary challenges at work and in life.
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Todd Yancey
Board Member
ABOUT
Distinction
Music Academy Board Member
Distinction
Advancement Committee & Campaign Committee Chair
Todd Yancey, MD, has 40 years of professional experience across clinical care and as a corporate biotechnology executive. After completing his medical school training at the University of Virginia, he went on to complete his internship, residency, and fellowship at the Weill-Cornell Medical School and to serve on the faculty of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
After 14 years of clinical care, he worked for nearly 25 years at publicly-traded companies including Amgen, Genentech, Onyx, Medivation, Clovis, BioMarin, and BeiGene. In this capacity, he served as a C-Suite executive beginning in 2006 and currently serves as Chief Strategic Advisor for Agenus.
He has served on four non-profit organization boards which include Gay Men’s Health Crisis (including three years as vice president), The New York Lesbian and Gay Community Center, The Primary Care Development Corporation, and The Santa Barbara Newcomers Club (including one term as president). Additionally, he is the co-lead of the University of Virginia Santa Barbara Alumni Association Chapter and serves on the Riviera Association Board. He has a life-long interest in music and studied piano for many years.
Since moving to Santa Barbara, he has been involved in supporting the mission of the Academy through philanthropy; performance and event participation; leadership thought partnership; and by serving as a Compeer for summer fellows.
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Emeritus Directors
The Music Academy gratefully acknowledges the following individuals who have formerly served on the Music Academy Board of Directors.
Donna Abbey
Richard A. Archer
Judy Astbury
William Barker
Judy Bartholomew*
Judith Bergman
Philip L. Bernstein
Kathleen Bielen
Corcorane Bigelow
Richard Blake
David Bradford
Peter Brown
Michele Brustin
Gay Bryant
John Burgee*
George Burtness
Marge Cafarelli *
Dean Carter
Cevin Cathell
Howard Chase
Lee Chase
Clive Chang
Andy Chou
Benjamin Cohen
Barbara Colville-O’Donnell
Sue Dalzell
David Davidson
James Davidson*
Mrs. B. Dale Davis
Charles de L’Arbre
Meg Di Napoli
Haddon Dillon
Gamble Parks Douville
Patricia Durham
Dianne Duva
Jerrold Eberhardt
Rosemary Hall Evans
Eunice Fly
Linda Frankel
Howard Freedman
Mary Freeman
Raymond Freeman
Tim Garrett
Roy Gaskin
Arthur Gaudi*
Konnie Gault
Judith P. Getto
Clarence Graff
Jon Greenleaf
Paul Guido
Eva Haller
Anna Maria Halling
Carole Halsted*
Steve Halsted
Mary Hayward
Tara Holbrook
Joanne Holderman
Ashley Woods Hollister
Nan Holt
Nancy Hunter
Don Jackson
Heejung Kim
Margie Kolyn
Patricia Kruse
Seymour Lehrer
Francis V. Lloyd *
Lee Luria
Kandy Luria-Budgor
Georgia Lynn
Katharine Mallin
Sarah Coade Mandell
Phil Marking*
Eva Masin
Barbara Mathews
Sheila Bourke McGinity
Parker Montgomery
Val Montgomery
Thomas Mullaney
Donald Myrick
Mead Northrop*
Robert Nourse
Mrs. Norreys J. Oconor
John O’Keefe
Stanya Owen
Arthur F. Pizzinat
Joshua Ramirez
E. Douglas Reddan
Leslie Ridley-Tree
Mary Louise Riley
Regina Roney
Joan Rutkowski
Bernie Sacharski
Frank Serena
Eileen Sheridan*
Stephen Singleton
Judith Smith
Patrick Spence
Warren Staley*
Edward Starbuck
Marion Stewart
Helga Sulger
Diane Sullivan
Tim Taylor
Kristina Thorpe
James Tilton
Bob Toledo*
Patricia Toppel
Joseph Tumbler
Terry Valeski
Evie Vesper
Hugh Vos
William Wayne
Patricia Weber
Robert Weinman
Gloria Weltz
Sharon Westby*
Kate Winn-Rogers
Peter Ziegler
*Indicates Former Board Chair