Wednesday, July 26, 2023 (Ann Arbor, MI) — The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) is pleased to welcome new members and leadership to its Board of Directors, all of whom were elected at the orchestra’s annual meeting on June 8, 2023. With a rich background of involvement at the A2SO, Lesa Doll Huget was elected as Board President, with marketer Jon Beebe joining as First Vice President. New board members include bass-baritone and University of Michigan Vocal Professor Daniel Washington, and accountant Dan Merrit.
“With a richness of experience in governance with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and a longstanding commitment to the arts and culture of the region, Lesa is the perfect person to take the Symphony to new heights” Executive Director Sarah Calderini said in a statement. “We’re poised and ready for this next chapter, and count ourselves fortunate to draw on the talents and vision of our two newest Board members.”
For Huget, the Board Presidency presents new opportunities: “The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra is undergoing an incredible era of growth and change, thanks to the leadership of Music Director Earl Lee, Executive Director Sarah Calderini, and a Board of Directors that is deeply committed to our mission. We are excited to welcome Dan and Daniel to the Symphony family as we explore new and diverse programming, expand our community reach and impact, and begin preparations for our 2028 centenary celebration.”
First elected to the A2SO Board in 2014, Huget assumes the Presidency as the orchestra prepares to launch its 2023/24 concert season in the fall. Having chaired multiple fundraising events on behalf of the A2SO, Huget brings a people-first mentality to her role as she embarks on a two-year term. As Senior Vice President of Marketing & Customer Experience for Epsilon, Beebe has long been involved with the A2SO’s marketing initiatives, including the orchestra’s recent rebranding in July of 2022.
Washington joins the Board as a current Professor of Music (Voice) at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance, as well as in capacity as Honorary Professor (Humanities) at the University of Cape Town, South African College of Music. An Assurance Senior Manager at Troy, MI-based business consultancy firm Rehmann, Dan Merritt begins his Board term providing expertise in accounting and other financial matters.
The 2023-24 A2SO Executive Board Members are: President, Lesa Huget; First Vice President, Jon Beebe; Secretary, Steve Gerber; Treasurer, Daniel B. Clark; Past President, Carol A. Sewell; Artistic Affairs VP, Jane Arvidson Panikkar; Development VP, Sassa Akervall; Finance & Budget VP, Daniel B. Clark; and Policy VP, Diana Raimi.
The 2023-24 A2SO Board of Directors are: Constance A. Bridges, Martha Darling, Andre Dowell, J. Robert Gates, David A. Gier, Richard D. Hendricks, Henry Johnson, Roderick J. Little, Brigitte A. Maassen, William J. Maxbauer, Dan Merritt, Aruna Sarma, Barbara Sturgis-Everett, Darcel Tolle, Elisabeth Vanderpool, Daniel Washington, Jane Wilkinson, and Remedios Montalbo Young.