(MONTEREY, Ca) – December 23, 2024 – The Monterey Jazz Festival, the world’s longest continuously-running jazz festival, launches its new brand “Monterey Jazz” to reflect its expanded strategic vision with professional and educational programming throughout the year, anchored by an iconic festival.
To usher in this new era, the organization is introducing a new overarching brand “Monterey Jazz” evolved from the festival’s timeless and world-renown name. The brand components will support all the Monterey Jazz pillars: the Jazz Festival, Jazz Education, and Community Engagement. This new umbrella brand sets the stage for a heightened focus on year-round initiatives and reinforces the organization’s nonprofit status. In 2025, Monterey Jazz will also launch a new website to be more reflective of its new initiatives, easier to navigate and adaptive for better mobile and tablet viewing.
The organization is excited to announce four new and highly experienced Board members:
Adam Band is the Director of National Chain Accounts for Full Circle Brewing for whom he has cultivated relationships with corporate buyers at prominent national retailers such as Costco, Trader Joe’s, Safeway and more. Adam is a former member of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
David Barnard is Senior VP of Investor Relations for LHA Investor Relations, Inc., a leading strategic IR consulting agency. He is also a trombone player with a degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University.
Maya Enista-Sith has been a successful nonprofit and foundation CEO, driving change and action through servant leadership and a strong business and financial acumen. Maya was the first Executive Director of the Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, to support the mental health of people and create a kinder and braver world.
Ana Toledo is an experienced labor and employment attorney at Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss, who has a long relationship with the Monterey Jazz Festival. Deeply committed to the community, Ana has served on the boards of the Center for Community Advocacy, York School, and the National Steinbeck Center.
In addition, the organization is reorganizing its workforce to prepare for this new period of growth:
- Bobbie Young, currently Director of Operations, will advance into the role of Managing Director, ensuring that the existing programs, including the festival, remain the gold standard in the fields of jazz and jazz education.
- Bruce Labadie, a jazz community veteran with over 40 years in performing arts management and festival production, will assist in programming the annual festival.
- Colleen Bailey will transition out of her current role as Executive Director to lead MJF special projects.
“For 67 years, the Monterey Jazz Festival has been one of Monterey’s defining events, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the area each September. In this next iteration, Monterey Jazz will leverage its rich heritage and legacy to draw music lovers to Monterey throughout the year, providing a significant cultural and economic benefit to the Monterey community,” said Ken Gordon, Chair of the Monterey Jazz Board.
“We thank Colleen Bailey for her outstanding work and countless contributions to the organization as Executive Director over these past 10 years and are excited to have Bobbie Young as our new Managing Director,” Gordon added.
For additional information, please contact Ken Gordon, Monterey Jazz Board Chair at (831) 917-6973 or Colleen Bailey at (831) 373-3368.
About the Monterey Jazz Festival
Founded in 1958 by the late Jimmy Lyons and late jazz critic Ralph Gleason, the Monterey Jazz Festival is the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world. Set upon the oak-filled grounds at the scenic Monterey Fairgrounds, the festival has hosted virtually every major jazz artist in recent history, including Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. In addition to the annual presentation of an iconic jazz festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) whose mission is to provide year-round opportunities for jazz education and performance for youth of all ages and backgrounds.