(CelebrityAccess MediaWire)-
Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) has appointed Derek Gordon to assume the office of executive director effective August 1. Gordon will report to Hughlyn F. Fierce, president and CEO of JALC. As executive director, Gordon will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the organization at a poignant time in its history. The 2004-05 season marks the inauguration of JALC's new home, Frederick P. Rose Hall – the 100,000 square foot integrated performing arts facility specifically designed for the acoustics of jazz.
Lisa Schiff, chairman of the board of JALC, said, "it gives me great pleasure to announce Derek Gordon's appointment. He has had a highly successful 12-year career at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and brings enormous energy and talent to Jazz at Lincoln Center."
"Derek Gordon's hiring comes at a significant time in JALC's history," said Fierce. "He is uniquely qualified to further the mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center as well as celebrate this landmark season in our new home. We're honored to add such a talented and respected industry executive to our team."
"Derek's background makes him exceptionally suited for Executive Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He brings an impressive amount of experience in overseeing a performance arts organization and the skills needed to usher in our new facility," Wynton Marsalis, artistic director of JALC, said. "As we look toward the future, we celebrate the integration of the arts and how jazz has enhanced our cultural life."
Gordon joins JALC after serving as senior vice president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the nation's performing arts center, for over 12 years. He was responsible for overall planning, management and supervision of the programs and operations for the Washington, DC organization's education department and jazz programming. While there, he began several new initiatives including national touring productions. Prior to his role at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Gordon was executive director of the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and before that, he was executive director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts.
"I look forward to carrying out Jazz at Lincoln Center's mission to preserve and advance jazz through the organization's education, performance and broadcast productions," said Gordon. "It's an honor to utilize my skills in this esteemed organization." –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
