Americana Board Announces Changes for Progress

Nashville, TN -- The Americana Music Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce significant changes to their business operations. These include: the announcement of their Executive Committee; selection of a new accounting firm; a new leadership ascension plan and changes to bylaws to allow for Board appointments.

The Americana Board Executive Committee positions are held for one year terms. Brad Paul from Rounder Records has been named Board President; artist manager Holly Lowman, President-elect; Sylvia Giannitrapani, (Formerly with Ryko Distribution) Secretary; two at large Executive Committee members are Music Fog’s Jessie Scott and Amanda Hale-Ornelas of New West Records. The Association has selected KV Associates, as its new accounting firm and Kurt Vitolo, Founder and President, will serve as Treasurer on the Board Executive Committee as well.

The Association has also implemented an executive transition structure in which the board elects a President-elect each year. The President-elect becomes the President the following year and then serves a third term as Past-President. Effective for 2013, Holly Lowman will assume the position of President of the Americana Music Board of Directors. She will be the third woman to hold the position and the youngest President in the Association’s 13 year history. Brad Paul will serve as Past-President in 2013 in order to offer guidance and a sense of continuum in leadership.

The Board of Directors have also made changes to allow for the appointment of board members to serve the association as needs dictate. “In the past our election process has provided the AMA Board with exceptional talent.” said President Brad Paul, “but with this new change to our bylaws, the board has the ability to fill specific needs that our old structure did not address." The Association’s first appointed Board Members include Vitolo, and Mark Moffatt, who will serve as chair of the Americana International Marketing Committee.

The Board of Directors moves are designed to provide advantages to the community to respond to industry shifts more swiftly; and to provide obvious benefits for training and consistent longer-term leadership and direction.

The current Board of Directors consists of industry representatives both elected by the Americana Music Association membership and appointed by the Board. Each elected Director holds his seat for a two year term. Each appointed Director holds their seat for one year

The current 2012 Americana Music Association Board of directors includes:

• John Allen - Bug Music Publishing
• Bob Benckert - Alternate Root
• Ashley Capps - AC Entertainment
• Rodney Crowell - Artist
• Tim Fink SESAC
• Mary Gauthier - Artist
• Sylvia Giannitrapani - Village Real Estate
• Todd Ohlhauser - Mercy Lounge
• Amanda Hale-Ornelas - New West Records
• Wayne Halper - Attorney
• Joan Kornblith - Voice Of America
• Terry Lickona - Austin City Limits
• Holly Lowman - Ramseur Records
• Tim McFadden - Tenacity Records
• Buddy Miller - Artist
• Al Moss - Al Moss Promotion
• Brad Paul - Rounder Records
• Jessie Scott - Music Fog
• Emilee Warner - Crash Avenue
• Mark Moffatt - Producer
• Kurt Vitolo - KV Financial Services

The 2012 Board mirrors the dexterity of the Americana genre itself: Entrepreneurial, independent, and progressive. The intentionally wider geographical reach of the new director selection process extends to music communities outside of the Nashville enclave, promising a richer exchange of ideas. The invigorated board will begin work with an Americana community poised for more profound breakthroughs, building on recent successes such as a "Best Americana Album" Grammy award category, a definition of the musical term Americana, in Merriam- Webster’s Dictionary and a nationally televised awards show.

The Americana Music Association is a professional non-profit trade organization whose mission is to promote awareness, provide a forum, and advocate for the creative and economic vitality of the Americana music genre.

The Americana Music Association will celebrate the genre’s ever-growing recognition and acclaim at the organizations annual fundraiser, September 12 -15, 2012 in Nashville, TN. Music industry professionals and those interested in the business of great music can still purchase Festival and Conference Registrations at the reduced rate of $350 for Americana Music Association members and $450 for non-members. Registrants receive entrance to all sanctioned daytime conference music, panels and parties, plus priority access to all evening showcase performances. The registration also includes a ticket to the critically acclaimed, 11th Annual Americana Honors & Awards Wednesday, September 12 at the Ryman Auditorium. For more information about the event please visit www.americanamusic.org

In an explosion of talent, iconic artists will take the stage alongside the scene’s top up-and-comers for four days and nights of praiseworthy performances and surprise guest appearances.