CMA Elects New Board

In recognition of their volunteer service to the CMA Board of Directors outgoing CMA Chairman Steve Buchanan (L), Gaylord Entertainment Senior VP of Media and Entertainment, and incoming CMA Chairman Gary Overton (R), Sony Music Entertainment Nashville Chairman and CEO, were presented the crystal gavel and globe, respectively, by CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore (C). The presentations were made at the annual CMA membership meeting Wednesday in Nashville. Photo credit: Christian Bottoroff/CMA

The Country Music Association held the annual Board of Directors election meeting in Nashville this week (11/30). The new Board year begins immediately.

Steve Buchanan, Gaylord Entertainment Senior Vice President of Media and Entertainment, completes his term as Chairman of the Board and current CMA Board President Gary Overton, Sony Music Entertainment Nashville Chairman and CEO, now assumes the position of CMA Board Chairman. Troy Tomlinson, President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, was named President-Elect. Jessie Schmidt, President of Schmidt Relations, remains Secretary/Treasurer for a second year. CMA Board President will be announced at a later date.

“On behalf of the CMA’s Board of Directors, our membership, and the CMA staff, I want to recognize outgoing Board Chair Steve Buchanan and thank him for his steady and insightful leadership over the last year and a half,” said Overton.

Following is a list of CMA Directors and Directors at Large:
Directors By Membership Category
Carryover Directors, who are serving the second year of a two-year term, are followed by newly-elected Directors (indicated in bold).

Advertising Agency/PR/Marketing
Mary Hilliard Harrington, The GreenRoom PR

Affiliated
Nancy Shapiro, NARAS
Joe Galante, Galante Entertainment Organization

Artist
Jay DeMarcus, Rascal Flatts
Luke Bryan

Broadcast Air Talent
Charlie Cook, West Virginia Radio Corp., Morgantown, W.Va.
Blair Garner, After Midnight with Blair Garner, Premiere Radio Networks

Composer
Bob DiPiero, Love Monkey Music
Brett James, Cornman Music

Entertainment Services
Stacey Schlitz, Schlitz Law

International
Ian Ashbridge, Wrasse Records, U.K.
Bob Shennan, BBC, U.K.

Music Publisher/PRO
Tim DuBois, Tim DuBois Entertainment
Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Musician
Biff Watson, Biff-Bangs Productions, Inc.

Personal Manager
Ken Levitan, Vector Management
Bill Simmons, The Fitzgerald Hartley Company

Producer/Engineer/Studio
Dann Huff, Dann Huff Production

Radio
Jaye Albright, Albright & O’Malley, Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Clay Hunnicutt, Clear Channel Communications, Atlanta, Ga.

Record Company
Gary Overton, Sony Music Entertainment
Mike Dungan, EMI Capitol Records

Record/Video/Online Merchandiser
Charlie Anderson, Anderson Merchandisers, Knoxville, Tenn.

Talent Agent/Promoter
Rob Beckham, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC

Talent Buyer/Venue
Larry Vallon, AEG Live!, Los Angeles, Calif.
Louis Messina, The Messina Group

Television/Video/Media
Mark Shimmel, Turner Networks

Lifetime Directors
J. William Denny
Ralph Peer II
Frances Preston

Ex-Officio Members
Jim Free, The Smith-Free Group, Washington, D.C.
Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Directors at Large
Scott Borchetta, Big Machine Records/Valory Music Company
Connie Bradley
Becky Brenner
Kix Brooks, Don’t Miss This, LLC
Steve Buchanan, Gaylord Entertainment Co.
Frank Bumstead, Flood, Bumstead, McCreedy, & McCarthy, Inc.
Pat Collins, SESAC
Tony Conway, Conway Entertainment Group, LLC
Ann Edelblute, XIX Entertainment
John Esposito, Warner Music Nashville
Karen Fairchild, Little Big Town
Randy Goodman, Nashville Music Council
Mark Hamilton, Apple, Inc.; iTunes Store, Cupertino, Calif.
Ed Hardy, Great American Country (GAC)
Lon Helton, Country Aircheck
Pat Higdon, Universal Music Publishing Group
Clint Higham, Morris Artists Management Group
John Huie, Creative Artists Agency
Jan Jeffries, Cumulus Media, Atlanta, Ga.
Marion Kraft, Shop Keeper Management
Luke Lewis, UMG Nashville
John Marks, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio
Doc McGhee, McGhee Entertainment
Mike Moore, Entercom Communications, Portland, OR
Kevin Neal, Buddy Lee Attractions
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation
Jason Owen, Sandbox Entertainment
Brian Philips, CMT/MTV Networks
Rob Potts, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, Five Dock, Australia
John Rich, Big & Rich
David Ross, Music Row Enterprises LLC
Ron Sakamoto, Gold & Gold Productions, LTD., Alberta, Canada
Jessie Schmidt, Schmidt Relations
Victoria Shaw, Songalicious Music
Clarence Spalding, Spalding Entertainment
Michael Vaden, Decosimo Vaden
Jeff Walker, The AristoMedia Group
Rusty Walker, Rusty Walker Programming Consultant, Inc., Iuka, Miss.
Jody Williams, BMI
Mark Wright, Show Dog Universal Music

More than 6,400 music industry professionals and companies around the globe are members of the Country Music Association. Formed in 1958 as the first trade association for a single genre of music, the organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry while advancing the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s strategic imperatives – CMA Music Festival and the companion CMA Music Festival television special, the CMA Awards, and CMA’s latest television venture “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s TV properties air on the ABC Television Network through 2021. For information about CMA visit www.CMAworld.com.