Monterey Jazz Festival Names Elizabeth Welden-Smith as Director of Strategic Relations

Monterey, Calif.; May 7, 2015; Monterey Jazz Festival, a leader in jazz education since its inception in 1958, is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Welden-Smith has been named as the Festival’s Director of Strategic Relations.

Ms. Welden-Smith brings more than a decade of nonprofit administration, business, fundraising, and development experience in the creative and visual arts, marine conservation, and international cultural communities to the Festival. She has held positions at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, where she was Curator of Education and Public Programs since 2011; at the Monterey Bay Aquarium where she was Grants Coordinator; and at the Information and Cultural Exchange in Sydney, Australia, where she was a Resource Coordinator.

Born and raised in Monterey County, Elizabeth attended the York School. She received her bachelor’s degree from Mills College in Oakland where she majored in European History, and a master of arts in Museums and Collection studies from the Australian National University in Canberra.

“Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience to the Monterey Jazz Festival and will be a wonderful addition to our team,” said Managing Director Colleen Bailey.

“It is an honor to join the Monterey Jazz Festival, a truly world class organization,” said Elizabeth. “I am excited to begin building and deepening partnerships to help support the Monterey Jazz Festival’s education programs and overall mission.”

About Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates the legacy of jazz, expands its boundaries, and provides opportunities to experience jazz through the creative production of performances and educational programs.

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For more information please contact:
Timothy Orr
Marketing Associate
Monterey Jazz Festival
831.646.8670
[email protected]
www.montereyjazzfestival.org

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Monterey Jazz Festival Partners:
Scheid Family Wines, North Coast Brewing, Macy’s, The Jazz Cruise, Hertz, Yamaha, Amoeba, DownBeat, JazzTimes, KUSP 88.9FM, Pandora, SmoothJazz.com Global, Gallien-Krueger, Remo, Zildjian, Inns of Monterey, Hyatt Regency, Monterey-Salinas Transit, Monterey Peninsula College,
Big Sur Land Trust, First Night Monterey
Monterey Jazz Festival also receives support for its Jazz Education Programs from:
ACTION Council of Monterey County, Alvarez Technology Group, Inc.; Arts Council for Monterey County, AT&T Foundation, California Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Monterey County, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc.; D’Addario Music Foundation, 1st Capital Bank, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Harden Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Integrated Wealth Counsel, LLC; Jamieson Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Macy’s, McGraw-Hill Education, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Quest Foundation, Rotary International, Stevenson School, Upjohn California Fund, Scheid Family Wines, Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop, York School, and generous individual contributors.