Board of directors

Treasurer

A musical educator and performer, Kate has spent the decade-plus working in nearly every genre - jazz, funk, pop, opera, and even country. Kate also currently works as a performing musician, vocal jazz arranger, lecturer, and clinician across the country. Kate currently serves as Loyola's Associate Director for the School of Music Industry and Chair for the school's Popular & Commercial Music and Urban & Electronic Music degree programs respectively. Kate is also co-director for Loyola's Paris Study Abroad program; teaching a common curriculum course within that program each summer as well.

President

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, PhD, has worked as a journalist and an award-winning public relations executive. Haydel serves as a media expert on the use of social media in political and social movements. Twice she has been awarded the Individual Award of Excellence by the Public Relations Society of America’s New Orleans chapter. She also serves as the director of the National Association of Black Journalist’s high school program (JSHOP). Her research examines the role of the Black collegiate press in the pursuit for Civil Rights and the use of social media today for both branding and activism.

Secretary

Daniela Marx is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Loyola University New Orleans, and the Associate Director of the School of Communication & Design. After working in NYC for George Magazine, she received her MFA at California Institute of the Arts, where she focused on social political issues through motion graphics and screen printing. As coordinator of the only Graphic Design bachelor's degree program in New Orleans, she looks to Loyola's Jesuit mission of social justice to shape Loyola's design students.

PT Executive Director

Tim Kappel is a founding partner of the law firm Wells & Kappel, LLP. Mr. Kappel represents a diverse group of creators, professionals, businesses, and organizations in the music industry. Mr. Kappel's practice encompasses both transactional matters and complex civil dispute resolution, providing him with a unique perspective and ability to advise clients in multiple aspects of their careers. He is the current President of the Board of Governors for the Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy and serves on the boards of several other nonprofit organizations, including Louisiana Music Partners, Wolf Moon Entertainment, and the Partnership for Creative Louisiana.

Jonathan McHugh is the Hilton-Baldridge Eminent Scholar/Chair in Music Industry Studies in the School of Music & Theatre Professionals at Loyola University in New Orleans. McHugh is a veteran independent TV and film producer/ director/music supervisor who has held high ranking creative and marketing positions at some of the world’s biggest entertainment companies including New Line Cinema/Warner Films, Zomba/ Sony Films & Music & Def Jam Films/ Universal Music over the past few decades.

Reid Wick is currently the Director of Regional Advocacy & Member Engagement at The Recording Academy. Reid served Loyola University’s College of Music as marketing communications manager and instructor in Music Industry Studies. He has served on numerous boards and co-owned an indie record label, STR Digital Records, which produced over 25 critically-acclaimed releases. He currently serves on the board of directors of Folk Alliance International and on the steering committee of Greater New Orleans, Inc.’s New Orleans Music Economy (NOME) initiative.

Professor and artist manager Billy O’Connell began his music career in the 1980s, when he pioneered MTV series “The Cutting Edge,” and served as label manager for Warner Brothers’ subsidiary Sire Records. Billy is recognized as a leader in issues of technology, artist sustainability, and audience development. He launched Throwing Muses’ first website when the world wide web was in its infancy, sat on the artist panel at the first mp3 Summit in San Diego, and created an mp3 subscription program in 1998. Billy joined the School of Music Industry in 2009, where he teaches artist management, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

Nate Cameron Jr is a New Orleans Native, Artist, Manager, Producer, Cultural Arts Community Advocate, and Songwriter. Currently serving as the Director of Remembering for Our Voice Nuestra Voz, Nate was also a part of the two time Grammy-Nominated band Tank and The Bangas’ management & tour production team. He is the co-founder of the New Orleans based Hip Hop and music business collective, glbl wrmng. Nate is also the co-Founder of the cultural curation team, Them People Productions, and is currently the board President of the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MACCNO).

Loyola alum Michael Twillman is a talent manager, booking agent, and entrepreneur focused on the New Orleans region. In 2013, he co-founded the New Orleans music venue Gasa Gasa. In conjunction with his new venue, Michael also co-founded Simple Play Management, which works with a number of artists in the New Orleans area. In 2016, Michael joined New Orleans' Civic Theater as production manager, where he oversees all aspects of concert production. Michael joined Loyola University in 2014 to teach courses in venue management and talent buying.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Scott’s professional journey has taken him from a corporate design studio to environmental graphic design, information design, advertising, and experiential marketing. His client roster includes Sprint, AT&T, St. Louis Rams, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Coca-Cola, UPS, and Microsoft. Beginning at Washington University in St. Louis, Scott taught a variety of typography, brand systems, and senior seminar courses. As director of the Visual Communications Research Studio, he connected students to active learning and professional practice experiences. The Studio flourished with research-based, client-driven projects—all designed and realized by faculty and students.

As a working musician, a researcher and advocate, and a music-director, Hannah Kreiger-Benson works to improve the New Orleans cultural economy and music landscape, and to improve equity, accessibility and financial literacy. She is a full-time musician and the music director for the all-female supergroup N.O.B.A.B.E and the multi-disciplinary Van Ella Bordella. Hannah also heads Research and Programs for the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans, focusing on the cultural economy, the ways the cultural landscape is shaped by legal and power structures, and advocating for resources for the cultural community.

Sharonda began her legal career as an intellectual property and patent lawyer at an international law firm in Atlanta. Just before joining Loyola, Sharonda served as City Attorney for the City of New Orleans from 2013-2015. She was appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to serve as a Commissioner for the Board of the Port of New Orleans, and she has served as the Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Regional Transit Authority, the Chair of the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, as well as being involved in numerous other professional and civic organizations.