Seeking Applicants for the 2011 Leadership Bluegrass Class
Dates set for March 8-10, 2011
Click Here for Leadership Bluegrass Brochure
Choose format for the 2011 Class Application:
Click Here for the Application in PDF
Click Here for the Application in Word
IBMA Announces Class of 2010 Graduates
The International Bluegrass Music Association is proud to announce the graduating class of Leadership Bluegrass 2010. Leadership Bluegrass, now in its eleventh year with more than 250 alumni, is an intensive, three-day program of interactive learning experiences that invites participants to examine the challenges and opportunities facing our music, along with related leadership issues.
Leadership Bluegrass 2010, hosted March 9-11 at BMI in Nashville, Tennessee, was facilitated by Fred Bartenstein, a noted bluegrass historian and professional meeting facilitator.
Each year the 25 individuals selected to participate in Leadership Bluegrass represent a cross section of current and future leaders from various facets of the industry, as well as diverse regions of the country and world.
Congratulations to the following graduates:
Phil Bankester; The Bankester Family, Genuine Human Productions; Carbondale, Ill.
Carol Beaugard; WFDU-FM, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country; Chester, N.Y.
Kissy Black; Lotos Nile; Nashville, Tenn.
Linda Bonner; Grassland Elementary; Brentwood, Tenn.
Thomas J. Brown; Spatial Effects, Songwriter/Playwright, SEBA; Dalton, Ga.
Megan Brugger; Classic Country Radio, Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival; Xenia, Ohio
Denis Chadbourn; Bluegrass Music Association Central Canada, Nipissing Bluegrass Association, C-Denny Band; Rutherglen, Ontario, Canada
Karl S. Cooler; Mountain Roads Recordings; Bristol, Tenn.
Lachlan Davidson; Davidson Brothers; Doncaster East, Victoria, Australia
R. Avery Ellisman; Non-profit Management & Resource Development; Encinitas, Calif.
Doris Gray; Colorado Bluegrass Music Society; Boulder, Colo.
Chris Keenan; Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival; Co. Roscommon, Ireland
Thad Keim; Compass Records Group; Nashville, Tenn.
Joan Kornblith; Voice of America; Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Larson; Straight Drive; Brooklyn, N.Y.
William D. Lewis, PineCone – the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music; Raleigh, N.C.
Patty Mitchell; Artist; Nashville, Tenn.
Jess Norburg; IBMA; Nashville, Tenn.
Gretchen Priest-May; The Musical Heritage Center of Middle Tennessee; Pegram, Tenn.
Michael Ramsey; Red, White and Bluegrass Festival; Morganton, N.C.
Gary Reid; Bluegrass Productions of Virginia, LLC; Roanoke, Va.
Jessica Smith; Bassist/Singer/Songwriter; Asheville, N.C.
Jean Spivey; Old Settler’s Music Festival; Austin, Texas
Andrew Stokes; McLachlan Management International; Nashville, Tenn.
Donna Ulisse; Donna Ulisse & the Poor Mountain Boys, Hadley Music Group; Nashville, Tenn.
Thanks to the following sponsors of Leadership Bluegrass 2010:
Leadership Bluegrass Presentation Sponsors: BMI; Fred Bartenstein & Associates
Leadership Bluegrass Silver Sponsors: Trisha & John Tubbs, Anonymous
Leadership Bluegrass Patron: Stephen Betts, Nancy Cardwell, Bill Foster, Bill Hartley, Karl Kersey, Barry Mazor, Janet McGarry & Serge Bernard, Leah Ross/Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Roger Ryan, Brian Smith, Holly Tashian, Wayne Taylor, Alan Tompkins/The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, Archie & Priscilla Warnock, Dwight Worden
The Leadership Bluegrass Planning Committee this year included Brian Smith (chair), Stephanie Taylor (vice-chair), Trisha Tubbs, Holly Tashian, Ron Cox, Craig Havighurst, Fred Bartenstein and Nancy Cardwell (staff liaison). Tashian, Taylor, Yvonne Tatar and Gerry Katz served on the LBG 2010 Selection Committee.
Photo Caption: The 2010 class of Leadership Bluegrass is pictured here at BMI in Nashville on March 11, 2010. Row 1, L-R: Gretchen Priest-May, Carol Beaugard, Joan Kornblith, Jess Norburg, Megan Brugger, Lachlan Davidson; Row 2: Jean Spivey, Jessica Smith, Andrew Stokes, Chris Keenan, Doris Gray; Row 3: Denis Chadbourn, Kissy Black, Thad Keim, Patty Mitchell, William Lewis; Row 4: Karl Cooler, Avery Ellisman, Gary Reid, Linda Bonner, Phil Bankester; Row 5: Jennifer Larson, Donna Ulisse, Thomas Brown, Michael Ramsey (photo by Nancy Cardwell)
Click Here to read what graduates have to say about the class.
Program Objectives
The purpose of the Leadership Bluegrass program is to pull together a cross section of people with exhibited or potential leadership qualities into a network of learning and communication. The results will foster a broad-based understanding of the total needs of the bluegrass community, which will help participants better prepare to determine the goals of the particular organization, company or group in which they choose to serve.
