THE BOARD

One of the coolest program parents we know and an accomplished feminist in every sense of the word, Whitney is also currently Budget and Finance Manager of the College of Engineering at UCSB, serves as a member of the Dean’s Senior Staff, and represents the College of Engineering on the Income and Recharge Advisory Committee. The Professional Women’s Association is one of the longest-standing staff support groups at UCSB; this year is its 30th anniversary, and Whitney is proud to serve as President. Unstoppable daughter Gracie has been participating in several of our programs since 2013, including former After-School, local showcase performances, Amplify Camp, the 2020 Summer of Love Internship, Amplify Creative Youth Collective, and more. In fact, after many summers of mastering Amplify Camp as a camper, this past summer she was an advanced LIT and even a fully fledged staff counselor in camp’s last session of the season. Future U.S. President (and current Senior Class President at Dos Pueblos High School) Gracie plans to be a counselor again next summer. “I believe the confidence, voice, and leadership opportunities she received through All Girls Sleepaway Camp + Amplify, along with the exposure to musical education, have helped her excel personally and academically. Even more importantly, these experiences have made her a compassionate and emotionally intelligent human that wants a just world for everyone to feel the freedom and space and right to exist and express themselves. My commitment to this organization for empowerment and positive community connection is from my heart and hers.”

John is the CEO of Green Room Strategy, a Santa Barbara-based Artist Management Consulting and Music Marketing firm. Clients include Alan Parsons, Philip Lassiter (11x Grammy Winning Arranger), Brad Byrd, and ERLAND. As a music-obsessed connector and strategist, John’s mission is to help artists build and grow self sustaining enterprises. He was previously VP of Client Partnerships at Oniracom and has had the pleasure of working with clients such as Warner Music Group, The Santa Barbara Bowl, AEG, Jack Johnson, The Lobero Theater, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bishop Lamont, Marquee Brands, and more. John studied jazz guitar at The University of North Texas and University of Utah, studied Ethnomusicology in Ghana, and has optimized his life around experiencing as much great live music as possible. John has been married to his wife, Nancy, for 18 years and has two vibrant children. He currently serves his community as President of the Rotary Club of Montecito Foundation and is the immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Montecito.

Peter is an author and composer who has contributed scores to over three dozen films, television shows, theatre productions, and documentaries. His scoring credits include the Steve Martin comedy L.A. Story, The Only Thrill with Diane Keaton and Sam Shepard, and Horton Foote’s Convicts with Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones, to name a few. Melnick attended Harvard College, Berklee College of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also studied privately with jazz pianist Jaki Byard.

In addition to serving as President of ShelterBox USA, Kerri is our former Board President and an active member of the Rotary Club of Montecito. Kerri has nearly 15 years of experience as a nonprofit executive, including at Direct Relief, following a 13-year career with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals. She regularly speaks on issues of philanthropy, international development, and female empowerment.

Gabriela is a dynamic social work professional who provides leadership, vision, and creativity to the nonprofit arena. She is accomplished in project planning and execution, from concept through production, with strong troubleshooting and problem-resolution skills as backed by her experience as Holistic Defense Program Manager for Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara and Director of Clinical Services for Hospice of Santa Barbara, to name a few. Gabriela holds a master’s degree in Social Work from USC. Related nonprofit involvement includes acting as an American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Volunteer and Member Chair for the Latino Elder Outreach Network.

Suzanne is a composer, performer, researcher, and educator. She creates compositions with a variety of media and technology and performs primarily with flute and electronics. Suzanne’s career as a professional recording artist was initiated as a founding member of the critically acclaimed band Mercury Rev, with whom she toured and produced a number of recordings for labels such as Sony. In addition, as an electro-acoustic improvisor she continues to perform with an inspiring array of musicians internationally. Her research expands her sound installation performances into an interdisciplinary method that combines creative practice with feminist and ecological theory to focus on performances that emphasize principles of inclusion, relational knowledge, and coalition building. Suzanne holds an MFA in Electronic Music & Media from Mills College and a Ph.D. in Integrative Studies from the UC San Diego. She is currently a Mellon Teaching Fellow/Lecturer in Music at Columbia University and co-founder (along with Bonnie Jones) of TECHNE, a music-education nonprofit dedicated to dismantling gender barriers and supporting bountiful practices in creative technology fields.

Jessi is an Artist Manager at Red Light Management, where her current roster includes Rayland Baxter, Zella Day, BONES UK, HOKO and Ryan Hahn. A passionate advocate for her artists, she and her team strive to inform, educate, and guide her clients through their creative journeys, ensuring that their greatest opportunities are met with incredibly effective results. Tichenor came to Red Light in 2016 from Madhouse Management, the boutique artist and production management company she founded in 2012; she also owned MH Media from 2014-2016, reinforcing her commitment to developing artists with a well-rounded eye on communication and branding. She has served as a volunteer for Buena Vista Schools and Renewal House (Nashville, TN) — an addiction treatment and recovery program for women and children — and was instrumental in the launch of One Love Generation Atlanta, non-profit organization that was dedicated to empowering youth to inspire positive social change through art, service and awareness. She attended Ohio University, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Tess is a mastering engineer from San Francisco, now based in Los Angeles. She’s worked alongside her father and mentor (John Greenham) at Clearlight Mastering since 2019, assisting him on various projects as well as learning his tips, tricks, and techniques, focusing mainly on the analog side of the mastering process. Tess has assisted him on many projects from artists like Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Bo Burnham, Finneas, Tinashe, Sigrid, Gracie Abrams, Girl In Red, Rebecca Black, Sasami, K. Flay, Nessa Barrett, Cautious Clay, Donna Missal… She’s been busy mastering projects on her own as well, working with up-and-coming artists like Trousdale, McCall, Denny, Harry Hudson, RF Shannon, Virg, Charlie Oriain, Tilly Valentine, Harve, Chloe George, Reath, Geraldo, Mei, Jack Demeo, and more. Tess is currently working on a community-based initiative to support women and non-binary folks in the music industry to share their art with other women and non-binary folks, and connect with engineers who can help them along their journey. Tess (and dad/John) has volunteered with us for several years, which is even more meaningful considering she’s one of a very small group of women working professionally as a mastering engineer in the world today, especially at her level.