CMA Announces Hirings

Jay Jones. Photo Credit: Christian Bottorff / CMA

The Country Music Association has added Jay Jones as Director of Media Relations, Tiffany Kerns as Community Outreach Manager, and Carrie Tekautz as Assistant in the Membership and Balloting department.

Jones previously worked at Jay Jones Music, a public relations and marketing company he owned and operated for nine years. There his clients included The Beach Boys, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, 12th and Porter, Capitol Records, and others.

As Director, Jones will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s media initiatives and digital public relations campaigns as well as the continued development of relationships with media, publicists, and CMA partners. Jones holds a degree in Music Business with an emphasis in Marketing from Belmont University.

Tiffany Kerns. Photo Credit: Amanda Eckard / CMA

Kerns comes to CMA from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where she worked since 2007 in both Knoxville, Tenn. and San Francisco. She relocated to Nashville in 2012 where she was Development Director working with corporate community partners and large community groups to help achieve the development goals of the CFF Board of Directors. As Community Outreach Manager, Kerns will be responsible for developing relationships throughout the community for CMA. She is a 2007 Graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Carrie Tekautz. Photo Credit: Sarah Abell / CMA

Tekautz is a 2013 graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University with a degree in Music Business. She interned previously for CMA in the Membership and Balloting Department before being hired as Assistant. Tekautz will be assisting in the general responsibilities of the department, handling day-to-day duties, as well as coordinating volunteers for events including CMA Music Festival.