YEAH! BOARD AND STAFF STRUCTURE

 

Youth Empowerment through Arts & Humanities, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation which is led by a board of directors.

Board Members:

 

Kelly Anderson

Chair, Board of Directors, Original Founding Member of YEAH!

Dr. Jeff Clark

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

Anna Fitzgerald

Secretary, Board of Directors, Original Founding Member of YEAH!

Courtney Sharpe

Member, Board of Directors, Original Founding Member of YEAH!

Dr. Michaele Chappell

Member, Board of Directors

Kevin Slater

Member, Board of Directors

Candace Hooker

Member, Board of Directors

 

 

Staff:

 

Joshua G. Hildebrandt

Administrative Director

Josh Hildebrandt comes to Youth Empowerment through Arts & Humanities with an expansive and successful background in the arts and culture not-for-profit  community. He arrives from Brevard Music Center where he managed event sales and client services for the Brevard Music Festival.

A graduate of Belmont University, Hildebrandt began his career while at Belmont as an administrative production intern at the Masterworks Festival near Fort Wayne, IN. After graduation, Hildebrandt returned to his hometown of Chattanooga, TN to serve at Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga as coordinator for the Bill Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute and Imagine Chattanooga 2020 cultural plan. In fall 2011, Hildebrandt joined the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera as marketing lead for the Chattanooga Youth Symphonies’ 2011-2012 season. Soon after finishing work at  Allied Arts, Hildebrandt was brought on by Chattanooga’s public radio station WSMC 90.5 to coordinate sales and sponsorships for the national radio program “From The Top” that was taped at Chattanooga’s Tivoli Theatre in 2012.

After his time in western North Carolina, Hildebrandt returns to his home state where he has spent time in the administrative offices and on the steering committees of symphony orchestras, arts councils, public radio stations, and secondary school art departments. Hildebrandt enjoys the outdoors, college football, travelling around the USA, studying philosophy and spending time with family and friends. Hildebrandt is a proud alumni of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and Kappa Delta Pi honor society.

E-mail at j.hildebrandt@yeahintheboro.org
Pat Blankenship

Pat Blankenship

Director, The CATT and Murfreesboro City Schools ESP Programming 

Pat Blankenship is a practicing attorney in Murfreesboro, TN., and the managing member of her law firm, Blankenship, Blankenship & Hagan, PLLC. She has been involved in speech, theatre, drama and public speaking since she was in the 4th grade and it has long been her dream to bring these same opportunities to students in Murfreesboro. She has 4 children, all artists, and they all got their first stage experiences on the boards.Two of those children have and are acting professionally. She has served YEAH! as a member of the Board of Directors for three years; served as its chair for 18 months; and has taught acting classes after school for YEAH! for the last two years. Pat is currently serving as the After School Programming Director, and is in the process of procuring funding and programming for a full theatre department known as The Children’s Academy Theatre of Tennessee, “The CATT.”

Dave CateDave Cate

Band Manager, YEAH! Rock Block

Dave Cate has worked with YEAH!’s Rock Block program, as an instructor, instrument tech, since its inception in 2009. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Audio Engineering from Middle Tennessee State University’s acclaimed Recording Industry program. Since 2008 he has worked as a recording engineer, recording demos, EPs and albums for numerous local artists. During that time he has also supervised live sound production for both YEAH!’s all-ages venue and the Cannon County Arts Center in Woodbury, TN, and in that capacity he has worked with an enormous variety of artists, from local acts to internationally touring performers such as Leon Redbone,                                  The Features, and Those Darlins.

Nikki OliffNikki Oliff

Program Coordinator, YEAH! Rock Block

Nikki Oliff has been working with YEAH! since 2010 in the positions of Instrument Instructor , Workshop Instructor, Band Manager, Co-Director of Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp, and Director of Nashville Rock Block. Currently  she serves as the Rock Block Program Coordinator as well as a Band Manager and Instrument Instructor. Starting with piano at the age of three, Nikki has surrounded herself with music, learning to play any instrument she can get her hands on and first playing out in bands in the DC area at the age of 15. She currently plays keyboards and sings in a Secret Policeman’s Ball, who are signed to MVDAudio and releasing their full length album in March of 2013 and were recipients of the Hot Topic Band Grant in 2012, and plays accordion and sings in The Hardin Draw, who, after forming in October of 2011, have played all over TN and surrounding areas.

E-mail at rockblock@yeahintheboro.org

Redford Tilson

Band Manager, YEAH! Rock Block

Redford Tilson started his first band at thirteen and has been at least one ever since. After volunteering at two Rock Block Camps in the summer of 2011 and loving it, he decided to become a staff member for YEAH! Rock Block. He has recorded four albums, and currently records and tours as the guitarist for two bands based in Murfreesboro.

John JudkinsJohn Judkins

Band Manager, YEAH! Rock Block

John Judkins began teaching guitar and bass lessons to private students in 2004. Judkins joined up with YEAH! in October of 2009 and has been a lead Rock Block instructor since that time. He was the director of Advanced Rock Block from 2010-2011. Judkins has participated in several YEAH! Rock Summer Camps over the years, both as an instructor and performer and have loaned thousands of dollars worth of gear to the organization. Over the past 6 years, he has had the privilege of playing music in over 20 countries. He currently performs with 5 active bands and continues to give private instrument lessons as well as working as a Rock Block instructor with YEAH!.