Board of Directors
Anne Maher has been an advocate for the arts for many years, serving on numerous boards and working on behalf of arts organizations in Maryland. She is a partner at Kleinfeld, Kaplan, & Becker LLP, specializing in advertising law, and counseling clients on a wide array of advertising and promotional issues, including social media marketing. Previously, she worked at the Federal Trade Commission in a variety of management positions. She was named to Best Lawyers in America (Advertising Law) from 2012 to 2020.
Anne Maher, Chair
Deborah Steinglass, Treasurer
Deborah Steinglass has 33 years of experience as an arts administrator, primarily in music, and has a lifelong passion for contemporary music across multiple genres. A musician by training, she began her nonprofit arts career as Director of American Music Week and then became the first Director of Development for the American Music Center. She was proud to serve as the Director of Development of New Music USA from 2013 to 2020 and as Interim CEO from 2018 to 2019.
Roberto Vela, Secretary
Roberto Vela, founder of the Law Office of Roberto Vela, is general counsel to Maryland restaurants, manufacturers, religious institutions, and disaster relief service providers, and represents a wide range of businesses and individuals in state and federal litigation. In addition, as a classically trained pianist and organist Roberto is a two-time recipient of the Career Development Grant of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, has performed solo and chamber recitals in the United States and Europe, and has served as Organist and Music Director of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Greenbelt, Maryland, since 2006.
Theresa Cameron
Theresa Cameron became VP for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) at the Music Center at Strathmore in June of 2019. As VP she provides comprehensive oversight of the BSO’s activities at the Music Center including fundraising, representing the BSO in Montgomery County, building the BSO’s relationships with local government and a wide range of community organizations.
Susy Cheston
Susy Cheston has over 25 years of leadership experience in advancing financial inclusion, financial health, and women's economic empowerment. She is the founding executive director of the Women’s Opportunity Fund, has led global financial inclusion initiatives for Opportunity International and the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, and currently serves as Chief of Party for the World Council of Credit Unions.
Bryan Young
Bryan tours the US and internationally as bassoonist and co-founder of the Poulenc Trio, and has served on the faculty at Morgan State University. He founded Intertwine Systems, a healthcare focused software company. Currently, Bryan is Leader of the Health Data Analytics and Visualization Group at MITRE, the United States’ Federally-Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) for Health. Bryan is president of the board of the Candlelight Concert Society, and he serves on the board of Chamber Music America.
Elizabeth G. Hill
A recognized leader in contemporary music advocacy, pianist Elizabeth G. Hill has performed across the US and Europe in service of her life’s work: joining cultures together through music. Elizabeth is a co-founder of the chamber ensemble Meraki, dedicated to awakening cultural compassion through music. She is also pianist for Balance Campaign, a chamber group whose focus lies exclusively on commissioning and performing works by underrepresented composers. She currently serves as the Collaborative Pianist for the National Philharmonic Chorale and Chamber Series. Also an active pedagogue Elizabeth is a private piano teacher in the Washington, DC area, and is a member of the Collaborative Piano Faculty at the Heifetz International Music Institute. Originally raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Elizabeth holds degrees from Mary Baldwin College (B.A.), James Madison University (M.M.), and The Catholic University of America (D.M.A. with a specialization in Chamber Music).
Laura Colgate, Ex Officio
Entrepreneur and violinist Dr. Laura Colgate has earned a reputation for her artistic leadership, versatility, and commitment to gender equity in the arts. She is co-founder and Executive Director of Boulanger Initiative. Her Doctoral thesis, “Half of Humanity Has Something to Say, Also: Works for Violin By Women Composers,” focuses on increasing recognition of prominent and lesser-known women composers. Having performed worldwide on stages including the Barbican Centre, Kennedy Center, and multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall, Dr. Colgate is also concertmaster of Greenville Symphony Orchestra (SC) and National Philharmonic (MD).
Joy-Leilani Garbutt, Ex Officio
Joy-Leilani Garbutt is an organist, musicologist, and co-founder of the Boulanger Initiative. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and recently spent a year in France pursuing research on early 20th-century organ music by female composers. Garbutt is a Ph.D. candidate in musicology, and holds a Master of Education degree from The Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Master of Music in organ performance from Northwestern University.