In its quarterly meeting held on April 28, the 23-member Board of Directors of Music for All elected Douglas C. Pileri of Carmel, Indiana, to be its new Chairman of the Board. Pileri moves up from his current position of vice-chairman and replaces Gayl W. Doster, who will assume the new position of Immediate Past Chairman.
Music for All is one of the most influential national education organizations in support of active music-making; it combines programming at a national level with arts education advocacy. Bands of America and Orchestra America are among its many programs. Pileri also serves as Chairman of the Music for All Foundation, an organization that supports MFA and its mission.
“Doug had been a member of our Board for the past ten years,” Doster said of the newly elected chairman, “and in that time, he’s brought strong business experience along with a passion for inspiring and energizing people. When COVID hit, he took the initiative to encourage our staff to ‘reinvent your world, don’t sit back waiting,’ andMusic for All is much stronger today as a result. The staff did the heavy lifting, but Doug helped provide a sense of direction and encouragement.”
“I’m moving into a position that has, for so many years, benefited from Gayl’s legacy knowledge and steady guidance,” Pileri said. “He’s helped Music for All become highly respected for its heritage of providing solid educational experiences, spectacular performance events, and instrumental music programs for students. In his new role as immediate past chairman, we’ll all benefit from his continuing presence and involvement in everything we do.”
Pileri brings a reputation for applying visionary leadership, business discipline, and the creative application of technology to achieve extraordinary results to his new role. In a thirty-year career in multiple international senior-level assignments, he built an enduring record of success in some of the world’s great companies – IBM, Thomson, and Kodak – and in Freedom Partners, one of the country’s most successful policy-influencing organizations.
During his career, Pileri has been a keynote speaker at industry conventions, has been featured in a cover story of CIO Magazine, and delivered a speech on National Public Radio. He believes there are two universal languages – music and photography – that bring us together and make a great difference in our world. He credits his experience playing the clarinet at a young age with helping him develop the confidence he’d need along the way. His wife and their three daughters all play musical instruments. He remains an active photographer.
“Under the direction of CEO Jeremy Earnhart, his staff and volunteers, Music for All is healthier than it’s ever been,” Pileri said. “They’re well-positioned to reach out to other organizations and take on new roles and responsibilities that extend their mission and influence. What should we be doing to broaden and deepen our ability to bring music – in all its forms – to communities that are underserved? What will music education look like in the future – and what should our role in that be? This is an exciting time to be working with this vibrant organization.”
“Music gave every member of my family a head start on building their confidence and inspiring their dreams,” Pileri said. “In my time as chairman, I’m hoping that Music for All can find new and innovative ways to bring those same benefits – through the joy of music – to more children and their families everywhere. What could be more fun – and more satisfying – than being involved in something like that?”
