Lonnie Davis

President & CEO / Co-founder

Born in Landstuhl, Germany, Davis has proud 300-year-old Louisiana Creole roots in her home of New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina, Davis and her family relocated to Charlotte, NC, where she became President/CEO and Co-founder of the 501(c)3 education and presenting organization, JazzArts Charlotte (JazzArts). Davis began studying music at an early age and had the privilege of attending Louisiana’s prestigious arts conservatory, NOCCA (New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts), where her passion for jazz was cultivated.

Davis has a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in music and additional graduate work in Urban and Regional Planning. She is a flutist, arts advocate, and community leader, currently serving on numerous committees and Boards. These positions include volunteer leadership roles with both Arts NC and the National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), as well as Jazz Education Network (JEN) where she serves as current Board President.

Davis has led the development of a thriving jazz audience in Charlotte, NC, cultivating enrichment in the lives of many and the transformation of the city’s culture through her vision and work at JazzArts, now recognized as having the region’s “most diverse arts audience” in a recent research study. Under her leadership, JazzArts now operates with budget of over $1 million annually and serves thousands of students of all ages and audience members each year through various educational and performance-based programs and partnerships.

Lonnie has been recognized for her work in the arts community locally and nationally. Southern Living Magazine listed Lonnie in the top “50 People Who Are Changing the South”. Davis was also featured by BELK, Inc. for their Modern Southern Music Campaign, reaching over 5 million readers nationwide and on Lucky Brand displays in Belk department across the country. Davis has been recognized in many publications and the recipient of numerous awards over the past decade, including the recent Jazz Journalists Association “Jazz Heroes Award” and the 2022 Charlotte Center City Partners Vision Award.

Ron Baldwin, Retired CPA

Chief Financial & Operating Officer

rbaldwin@thejazzarts.org

Patrick Brown

Education Director

pbrown@thejazzarts.org

Joseph Riggi

Digital Content Manager

jriggi@thejazzarts.org

Destinee Charles, MBA

Administrative Program Coordinator

dcharles@thejazzarts.org

Jamie Ross Hayes, CFRE, MA, MPA

Interim Development Director

Meet Our Educators

JazzArts Academy programs are led by many of the Charlotte region’s most experienced music educators. These professional musicians and teaching artists offer extensive and diverse experience in the jazz education field and provide students of all ages enriched learning opportunities. Click here to learn about them.

Career Opportunities:

Marketing Director

The Marketing Director is a key leadership role that will continue to propel the work and visibility of JazzArts Charlotte by
providing to develop and implement our marketing strategy. They will report directly to the President and work closely
with the Development Director and associated board committees on audience development and promoting the
organization. The successful candidate will possess a strong work ethic, believe in the organizational mission and business of JazzArts Charlotte, have a hospitable spirit and a high level of professionalism under all circumstances. This candidate will also be a data-driven, motivated self-starter who is well organized, creative, and experienced in managing a variety of tasks with
excellence in sales and audience development. This ideal candidate will embrace diversity and equity in all forms, have a
love for JAZZ music, history, and culture. All resumes should be emailed to info@thejazzarts.org with the subject Marketing Director.
Click here to learn more about the position.

Marketing Internships

Communications Internship:

Do you enjoy jazz and wish to expand your experience in marketing communications? Jazz Arts Charlotte® is searching
for a talented marketing copywriter that will play an integral part in developing our message and engage our audiences
through email, online, and PR. The successful candidate will get the opportunity to promote and attend all JazzArts
Charlotte events. They will also be responsible for research and interviews to create additional content, participating in
outreach and promotion, and conducting analysis. LEARN MORE

Social Media Internship:

Do you enjoy jazz and wish to expand your experience in marketing? Jazz Arts Charlotte® is searching for an intern that
will play an integral part in developing our message and engage our audiences across the digital media landscape and
various social platforms. The successful candidate will get the opportunity to attend, record and promote all JazzArts
Charlotte events through social media. They will also be responsible for additional content creation, maintaining social
media accounts, monitoring and engaging in online forums, participating in outreach and promotion, and conducting
analysis. LEARN MORE.

Administrative Internships

Do you enjoy jazz and wish to expand your experience in nonprofit administration? Jazz Arts Charlotte® is searching for
an intern that will assist with our daily programs that serve educators, cultural arts patrons, students, musicians and
individuals dedicated to the continued development of Charlotte’s arts heritage. The successful candidate will get the
opportunity to assist our organization in daily management of our programs, administrative tasks, and more. LEARN MORE

Contact Us

You can reach any of our team by calling the office at 704-334-3900 or emailing info@thejazzarts.org.

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JAZZ ROOM Presents: Women In Jazz – Monika Herzig’s SHEROES