WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — After concluding its second annual conference in Washington D.C. last week, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) announced the list of newly elected board officers for 2023.
Andre Perry, who previously served as the board’s Vice President since 2021, has been elevated to the role of Board President. In addition to his role at NIVA, Perry currently serves as Executive Director of the Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement at the University of Iowa.
Perry replaces Dayna Frank, NIVA’s inaugural board president, who spent three years in the role, the maximum term allowable under NIVA’s bylaws. During her tenure, Frank played a significant role in the passage of the Save Our Stages Act, which provided $16.25 billion dollars in emergency relief for the live entertainment sector to help with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, he’s a key component of NIVA’s
While she’s stepping down from her leadership role on NIVA’s board, Frank remains active with the organization, and is a key component of the Fix The Tix campaign, seeking to implement consumer-friendly reforms in the event ticketing industry in North America.
“Our NIVA family, our members, represent so many threads of the independent performance world, and it is an honor to be named NIVA’s next Board President,” said Andre Perry, Board President of NIVA. “We are small club owners, we produce festivals, we run performing arts centers, we are promoters, we are comedy people, we are music heads, we are multidisciplinary performing arts workers, we run for-profits – big, medium, and small – and we run nonprofits at a range of sizes, we are government affiliated or part of universities and colleges, or we are part of nothing – committed, brilliant loners who just do what we do for the good of the cause.”
“NIVA has made history in our three years of existence, and there are many challenges ahead for our industry. However, I know that our Association, chapter leaders, and members are capable of tackling these challenges because we have done it before,” added Dayna Frank. “One of those challenges is predatory ticket resellers. Together, independent venues, festivals, and promoters will work with Congress to pass Fix the Tix and continue laying the groundwork to create the industry our fans deserve.”
NIVA also announced the election of two new independent board members, Shahida Mausi is President and CEO of The Right Productions, Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer of the Black Promoters Collective (BPC), and operator of The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in Detroit and Jamie Loeb. Senior Vice President of Marketing at Nederlander Concerts.
“As NIVA embarks on this new chapter, the Association remains resolute in its mission to support, promote, and advocate for independent venues across the country,” said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. “The appointment of Andre Perry as Board President, Dayna Frank’s continued leadership on federal advocacy, NIVA’s new slate of Board officers, and the addition of Shahida Mausi and Jamie Loeb to the Board, signals a renewed commitment to advancing the interests of independent venues and festivals and ensuring their continued viability in an ever-evolving live entertainment ecosystem.”
The full slate of the 2023-2024 slate of NIVA Board Officers:
President: Andre Perry, Executive Director of the Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement, University of Iowa
Vice President: Audrey Fix Schaefer, Head of Communications, I.M.P.
Vice President: Jim Brunberg, Founder, Revolution Hall, Mississippi Studios; Composer/Performer
Treasurer: Brad Grossman, COO, Helium Comedy
Secretary: Jesica Gerbautz, CEO, Pnk Moon Productions
