DR. SHEILA JOHNSON AND GORDON SINGER APPOINTED TO THE VH1 SAVE THE MUSIC FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NEW YORK, March 19, 2007 – The VH1 Save The Music Foundation has appointed Dr. Sheila Johnson and Gordon Singer to its board of directors, it was announced today by Tom Calderone, Chairman, VH1 Save The Music Foundation and General Manager, VH1.
“The VH1 Save the Music Foundation is honored to have Dr. Johnson and Gordon Singer as new additions to our board. As a former music educator and avid supporter of education, Dr. Johnson knows what music brings to a child’s development. Her knowledge and passion for fundraising will certainly be called upon as we move into our 10th year,” said Calderone. “The addition of Mr. Singer provides us with his extensive financial knowledge and with the help of his family’s foundation he will continue to be one of the leading benefactors for our organization.”
Johnson co-founded Black Entertainment Television, (BET) with her former husband Robert Johnson and served as Executive Vice President for the network until its 2001 sale. Since then Johnson, a former music educator has been an avid philanthropist. Johnson has given her time and money to numerous charities over the years including the Wolftrap Performing Arts Center, a Washington-Metropolitan based arts center that among other things provides arts education to children on a national basis. Johnson is also Chairman of the Board for Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.
In addition, Johnson currently serves as chief executive officer of Salamander Hospitality, a company that is developing a luxury resort and spa near Washington, D.C. and is a partner in Lincoln Holdings, which owns the Washington Capitals hockey team and the Mystics women’s basketball team as well as minority ownership in the Washington Wizards. Johnson sits on the boards of The Whitney Museum, Centers of Disease Control (CDC) Foundation, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and established the Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center at the Hill School in Middleburg, Virginia. Dr. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Illinois where she received a Bachelor of Arts in music.
Gordon Singer is currently a senior portfolio manager for Elliott Advisors LTD, a London and New York-based firm. Singer, son of Paul Singer serves as a trustee of the Paul E. Singer Family Foundation, which has been a leading supporter of VH1 Save The Music’s work in New Brunswick, NJ. In fact, in 2006 The Singer Family Foundation contributed $50,000 to support two music programs in New Brunswick public schools. In addition, The Singer Foundation announced that they were providing an additional and increased grant of $100,000 to support VH1 Save The Music’s work throughout New Jersey.
Prior to joining Elliott Advisors, Singer was a financial analyst for the Health Care Group at Lehman Brothers, Inc. Singer is a graduate of Williams College and attended Exeter College, Oxford University.
Dr. Johnson and Mr. Singer join current board members including Tom Calderone, Chairman, VH1 Save The Music Foundation, Raymond Chambers, Larry Cohen, Sandy Feldstein, Wynton Marsalis, Christina Norman, Morris L. Reid, Jonathan Sheffer, John Sykes, John Varvatos Dirk Ziff, and Paul Cothran, Executive Director, VH1 Save The Music Foundation.
Since the VH1 Save The Music Foundation was created in 1997, $34 million worth of new musical instruments have been donated to 1,400 public schools in 80 cities, improving the lives of more than 800,000 children.
Now in its tenth year, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America’s public schools by restoring music education programs in cities across the U.S. and raising awareness of the importance of music participation for our nation’s youth. VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s 2006 national sponsors include Anheuser-Busch, Crest, Curve Fragrances by Liz Claiborne, Grey Goose Vodka, JetBlue, and Nikon.
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Contact:
Maura Wozniak/VH1
212-846-7325