The Executive Committee shall have and exercise all of the authority of the Board of Directors in the management of JEN during the intervals between regular meetings of the Board. The Executive Committee shall not relieve the Board of Directors, or any member thereof, of any responsibility imposed by law upon it, him, or her. The President of JEN shall be the chairman of the Executive Committee and shall call regular meetings of the Executive Committee.

The Development Committee’s mission is to support the Jazz Education Network by raising funds and philanthropic work for the organization’s operations, programs, and initiatives. The committee is responsible for overseeing the organization’s overall fundraising and development efforts, and cultivating long-term relationships for the stability and future of building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences.

Ashley Shabankareh, Co-Chair
Doug DuBoff, Co-Chair

The Education Committee works to advance jazz education at all instructional levels by understanding the jazz education needs of educators and working together to meet those needs with viable resources that inspire, enable, and empower teachers in jazz education, creating a community that spans the globe.

Past Committee Chairs:  Mary Jo Papich, Darla Hanley, Sharon Burch

The Finance Committee develops the annual budget for JEN and makes sure that JEN remains on budget. It also makes recommendations on fiscal issues to the JEN Board and makes sure JEN operates according the the Financial Prodcedures developed by the committee.

Dustin Rohrer, Chair

Ashley Shabankareh
Lonnie Davis
Sean Jones
Tim Fellow
Todd Stoll
Dr. Lou Fischer, Ex Officio
Sharon Burch, Ex Officio

The Nominating Committee reviews nominations from JEN members for the open board seats and then presents a Board Member Nomination Slate to the board for a “yes” or “no” vote each year.  The Nominating Committee also reviews nominations from the JEN Board for open officer seats and then presents an Officer Nomination Slate to the Board for a “yes” or “no” vote each year.

The Personnel Committee is responsible for overseeing the hiring and firing of any employees and independent contractors hired by JEN.  The committee is responsible for securing employment and independent contractor agreements for the legal protection of JEN.

1. Mary Jo Papich (2008-2010)
2. Dr. Lou Fischer (2010-2012)
3. Andrew Surmani (2012-2014)
4. Bob Sinicrope (2014-2016)
5. Caleb Chapman (2016-2018)
6. Todd Stoll (2017-2020)

The charge of this committee is to coordinate outreach into local underprivileged schools in the cities where JEN is presenting its conference.  The committee is also currently developing a plan to do outreach on a ongoing basis in areas throughout the world.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee will access and analyze the current demographic of the JEN membership and JEN conference attendees.

I. Purpose Statement

The purpose of the JEN Music Business Committee is to provide resources and
disseminate information to JEN members concerning business and legal aspects of the
music industry that support jazz as a commercial enterprise through workshops, research,
and discussion forums at the JEN annual conference and through other communication
networks.

II. Objectives

1. Facilitate an understanding of the music business and its terminologies, and an
understanding of broader music industry issues that may affect jazz artistry, e.g., changes
in intellectual property law, business, and public policy.

2. Generate dialogue about such issues and help JEN members stay abreast of current
developments — e.g., keeping on eye on current issues like a) music piracy, b) hot topics
in litigation; c) the relationship between history & societal perceptions of jazz/artists as
these relate to revenue potential in the genre.

3. Assist JEN members in understanding the importance of attention to business issues, as
well as serve as a resource for doing so, possibly through providing business services, for
example:

• Workshops on how to establish an advisory team — identifying an agent, manager, public relations consultant, attorney, accountant, etc.
• Workshops on understanding branding and marketing issues
• Offering a legal clinic;
• Seminars on entrepreneurship in the entertainment industry, including crossing over from music to other entertainment endeavors.
• Webinars on any of the above

4. Identify business models and strategic planning for success, considering topics such as:

• Is it better to be an independent (indie) artist or to seek collaborations with major labels, publishing companies?
• What revenue streams — performance (live or recorded or both), merchandising, endorsement deals, etc. — work best for [a given artist]?
• Research may be an appropriate vehicle for this objective.

5. Serve as a forum for career management and entrepreneurship, addressing topics like:

• How to secure a record or publishing deal;
• Are such deals integral to success?
• How to build career longevity as an artist;
• Transitioning to/exploring careers as a non-artist on the business side as an artist mgr, or attorney, journalist, etc.

Jay Ashby, Chair

Bob Breithaupt

The goal of this committee is to develop a festival component during to present during the Annual Conference. A pilot stage was launched 2012 with potential for growth in future years, including the addition of an Honors Ensemble program to be inclusive of all levels.

The committee is a standing committee that helps coordinate the research track for the annual conference and is dedicated to growing the body of research in jazz education.

This committee is responsible for overseeing develop of criteria related to all awards and scholarships. This committee coordinates the creation of JEN Clinician & Performer Certificates and JEN Scholarships prior to/at the conference in tandem with the Conference Coordinator. The chair work closely with the scheduler to decide when and where scholarships are awarded.

The current scholarships include:

1. David Baker Scholarship (sponsored by Jamey Aebersold) – $3,000
3. Dr. Lou Fischer JEN Co-Founder Scholarship – $1,000
4. Hal Leonard Collegiate Scholarship – $1,000
5. Mary Jo Papich JEN Co-Founder Women in Jazz Scholarship – $1,000

The current awards include:

1. John LaPorta Educator of the Year Award (sponsored/presented by the Berklee College of Music)
2. President’s Service Award
3. LeJENds of Jazz Education Award
4. LeJENds of Latin Jazz Award
5. Meade Legacy Griot Award (sponsored/presented by the African American Jazz Caucus)

The JEN Affiliates Sub-Committee seeks to align organizations and initiatives that reflect the goals and mission of JEN through collaborative projects and efforts.

The mission of Women in Jazz is to increase the involvement of female jazz instrumentalists and retain them at all educational and professional levels by encouraging collaborations with, and supporting initiatives and networking opportunities among educational organizations and public institutions. Furthermore, Women in Jazz advocates for equal job opportunities in all areas of jazz performance and teaching.