Nu Deco Ensemble announces the appointment of a new slate of officers of the Board of Directors for the 2022/23 season. Deborah Slott, Nu Deco’s Chair of the Board since 2016, will transition to the role of Immediate Past Chair while Carlton Ford, Head of Strategic Partnerships for Taproot Foundation, will step into the Chair role and Rebekah Monson, COO and co-founder of Letterhead, will serve as Vice-Chair.
Slott served as Board Chair for more than six years, during which time Nu Deco increased its organizational budget tenfold, released its first studio album along with six additional live recording projects, and successfully pivoted to digital programing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, under Slott’s leadership, Nu Deco expanded its educational programming, most notably launching the Nu Deco youth orchestra NXT. Nu Deco Ensemble’s educational initiatives impact more than 30,000 students and community members throughout Miami-Dade county each year. “This is an exciting moment for Nu Deco, our impact to date, and the future of our dynamic growth. The Board’s collaborative work has enabled Sam and Jacomo’s artistic vision to be a major contribution to Miami’s national arts presence while attracting new younger and diverse audiences in Miami and on a global scale,” Slott said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled for Carlton as chair and Rebekah as vice-chair to take the organization to new heights. The potential for Nu Deco to impact communities is limitless and I look forward to being part of this next chapter.”
“I couldn’t be more appreciative of Deb’s tremendous contributions to the organization, and to Carlton and Rebekah for stepping into their roles with such commitment and enthusiasm” said Nu Deco Co-founder, CEO and Artistic Director Sam Hyken. “Between Carlton’s expertise in nonprofit management and fund development, and Rebekah’s knowledge of how to scale operations and communications for growing organizations, I know that our newly elected Board leadership will build on Nu Deco’s foundation of excellence and innovation and lead us into our next exciting chapter as an organization.”
Rounding out Nu Deco’s slate of officers for the 2022/23 season are James Wolcott, Principal at Kaufman Rossin, and Adam Schwartzbaum, Partner at The Moskowitz Law Firm, who will assume the roles of Treasurer and Secretary respectively. In addition to serving as Treasurer, Wolcott is also leading the Strategic Planning Task Force for Nu Deco ensemble as the organization works to reframe, redefine, and expand its scope of activity in anticipation of the 10-year anniversary of its founding in 2025.
“I am honored and excited to step into my new role as Chair of Nu Deco Ensemble’s Board of Directors,” said Board Chair Carlton Ford. “Nu Deco Ensemble’s impact on the musical communities in South Florida and across the nation has been deeply felt by artists, educators, aspiring musicians, and concert-goers since its founding in 2015. As an artist myself, I believe that Nu Deco has the unique vision and opportunity to become a transformative leader among American orchestras, and that the best is yet to come. I look forward to working alongside Deborah, Rebekah, the entire Board of Directors, and community leaders as Nu Deco begins this new chapter in our organizational history.”
Deborah Slott will be honored at Nu Deco Ensemble’s December concert at the Adrienne Arsht Center; more information to follow.
ABOUT THE BOARD OFFICERS
Deborah Slott, Immediate Past Chair, brings a high-end business, political and music background as board chair of Nu Deco.
Deborah founded, operated for 17 years, and sold the NY-based executive conference company The Conference Group LTD to Summit Business Media (then Highline Media) backed by private equity firm Spire Capital. The highly profitable company disrupted the senior-level paid attendance conferences in the financial services industry as the only company drawing the top global CEOs, members of Congress, industry association presidents, and other major players for a high-level discussion on legislative and strategic issues of the day.
Deborah also held staff positions in both Obama campaigns out of Chicago headquarters from early 2007 through the elections including Director of Voter Protection Recruitment for FL in 2012 and Sr. Advisor to S. FL for GOTV and Early Vote in the 2008 General Election, and was elected Vice Chair of the NY Delegation to the National Convention, an elected Delegate, and appointed as an Elector and Officer in the 2008 Electoral College.
Prior to selling the Conference Group, Ltd., Deborah held Analyst and Associate positions at McKinsey & Co. and Oliver Wyman in NY. Deborah is a classically trained harpist from Oberlin Conservatory and also holds a degree from Oberlin College in Government. Deborah has served on the boards of Common Cause Funding Arts Network, and currently is on the boards of Oolite Arts and Nu Deco Ensemble.
Carlton Ford, Chair, has raised over $25MM on behalf of some of the nation’s leading arts and culture and social impact institutions, including the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Interlochen Center for the Arts. He currently serves as Head of Strategic Partnerships for Taproot Foundation where he leads the foundation’s philanthropic and business development efforts. Taproot Foundation is a US-based nonprofit that helps other nonprofits and social change organizations across the globe solve critical challenges in their communities through pro bono service.
An outspoken advocate for philanthropy’s impact on BIPOC communities, Ford penned the Miami Herald Op-Ed, Careless labels like ‘underserved’ ignore the richness, diversity among Blacks (June 22, 2020). One of Miami’s 2016 40 Under 40 Black Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (Legacy Magazine/Miami Herald), Ford is a Principal Consultant and Managing Director with national Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion firm Diaz Inclusion Consulting.
As an opera singer, he performed with venues including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Berlin Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera House, Aspen and Glimmerglass Music Festivals, and Emmy and Oscar-nominated performances, including the PBS series Great Performances and HBO’s Masterclass. He is a Founding Ensemble Member at Victory Hall Opera, a YoungArts winner and alumnus, and a graduate of Interlochen Center for the Arts, Rice University, and The Juilliard School.
Carlton and his wife Christina Spigner, a retired Miami City Ballet ballerina, live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their Bernedoodles, Leila and Zoë.
Rebekah Monson, Vice-Chair, is co-founder and COO of Letterhead, software that helps you make, manage, and monetize communities starting with great emails. She previously co-founded WhereBy.Us Media, whose local newsletter brands, Miami’s The New Tropic, Seattle’s The Evergrey, Portland’s Bridgeliner, Orlando’s Pulptown, and Pittsburgh’s The Incline, engage more than a million curious locals each year. Rebekah also co-founded Commissioner, a local art membership program, and Code for Miami, the city’s first civic hacking organization. She serves on several professional and civic boards aimed at improving journalism, technology, and civic life, including LION Publishers and the Miami Foundation.
James Wolcott, Treasurer, is a Principal in Kaufman Rossin’s business consulting services (BCS) department, leading the firm’s transaction advisory, corporate finance & strategy, and performance improvement practices. He has provided consulting services to many of the world’s leading organizations on issues of strategy, capital advisory, and financial planning and analysis. Since joining Kaufman Rossin in 2016, James has advised clients in a variety of industries, including technology, retail, wholesale distribution, manufacturing, real estate, and construction, insurance, and healthcare. Before relocating to Miami, James lived in New York for 14 years, most recently serving as a senior advisor within Citigroup’s global operations and technology team. Prior to joining Citigroup, he spent more than a decade working in management consulting and corporate advisory, serving multi-national clients such as Toyota Motor Corporation, The American Express Company, and Merck & Company, among others.
Adam Schwartzbaum, Secretary, is a Partner at The Moskowitz Law Firm. Adam plays an important role representing the Firm’s clients and is involved in every aspect of its class action litigation. Adam also leads the Firm’s busy appellate practice, representing the Firm in Florida’s District Courts of Appeal and in the federal Circuit Courts of Appeal. His areas of expertise include insurance litigation, consumer rights, and disputes involving both state and local governments. A community leader and activist, he sits on the Board of Directors of Temple Menorah in Miami Beach and serves as J-Street’s District Coordinator for Congresswoman Federica Wilson. Adam has also served as Co-Chair of the Southern Florida Lawyer’s Chapter of the American Constitution Society; co-founder and member of the South Florida Israel Bonds Young Investor Society; member of the American Jewish Committee’s Global ACCESS Board; and member of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party’s Executive Committee.
To view a full list of Nu Deco Ensemble’s Board of Directors and Officers for the 2022/23 season, please click here.