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OUR TEAM

We at the D’Addario Foundation have brought great clarity to our mission by cultivating a dynamic board of directors, advisors, and staff who are extremely passionate about our work and, as strong advocates of music education, are committed to bringing greater visibility to the cause.

   


John D'Addario Jr. - Board President

John D’Addario Jr, co-founder and board president of the D’Addario Foundation, has spent his life in positions of advocacy, philanthropy, and business leadership in service of making the world a more musical place. His insight into the holistic and overwhelming impact that music education can have on a child’s day-to-day experience, as well as their relationship to art, academia, and higher education drives the continued expansion of the foundation’s impact and reach. Independent of his decades of industry experience or his family’s storied artisanal lineage, his life’s work has always amounted to an artful life.

Karen Shelley - Executive Director

As the executive director of the D'Addario Foundation, Karen seeks to further a mission that supports equitable access to music instruction and environments that nurture creative expression. A nonprofit and social impact leader with more than 20 years of experience in partnership development, Karen began her career as an advertising copywriter for various educational publishing companies and went on to advance the work of several nonprofit organizations. Most recently, she served as the director of development for the Harmony Program and director of strategic partnerships for the Society for Science. Other nonprofits she has been a part of include the College Board, Single Stop, and College Advising Corps. Karen holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in English with an emphasis on nonfiction writing, both from the University of Central Florida.

Danielle Hall - Manager

Danielle started her connection with D’Addario & Co. as a recipient of the Jim D’Addario Award for Excellence in Music Business at Hofstra University in 2015. She began working for the company during her senior year of college as a Sales Intern, and ultimately transitioned to her role with the Foundation in 2017. Danielle’s dedication to the Foundation’s mission stems from her childhood & adolescence, where access to immersive music education played a pivotal role. In addition to her work with the Foundation, she is an active flutist and teaches flute & piano lessons to students across Long Island & NYC.

   

Board of Directors

The D’Addario Foundation is proud to seek the invaluable insight and experienced counsel of these respected individuals from the worlds of philanthropy, environmental tech, corporate governance, and the creative arts.

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Jonathan Turitz

Chief Creative Officer, D'Addario & Co.

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Margaret Martin

Founder, Harmony Project

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Josh Lohrius

Creative Director, Olson Engage

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Tom Szaky

Founder & CEO, Terracycle

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Doron Ofir

President & Founder, Popular Productions Inc. / Doron Ofir Casting

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Dahlia Ambach Caplin

SVP of A&R, Verve Label Group

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Amy D'Addario

Screenwriter

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Tom Cilmi

VP, Local Governments Practice, McBride Consulting & Business Development Group

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Suzanne D'Addario Brouder

Former Executive Director, D'Addario Foundation

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Jim D'Addario

Chief Innovation Officer, D'Addario & Co. 


Scholarship Program

foundation scholarship promotion

By helping pay for college, we empower the brightest individuals to become who they were always destined to be.

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GIRLS IN MUSIC INITIATIVE

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We provide transformative resources to offset the gender imbalance, helping girls find their place, both on stage and in the industry.

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