Dr. Franke Forte

Dr. Frank Forte is Director of Medicine for the Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program at Englewood Hospital as well as serving as Director of the Jazz Musicians Medical Volunteers. Dr. Forte received his medical degree with honors from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition to being an avid jazz guitarist, Dr. Forte writes for Just Jazz Guitar magazine and is the recipient of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ)’s Champion of Good Works Award in recognition for his work with The Jazz Foundation.

Dr. Daveed Frazier

Daveed D. Frazier is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced training in spinal surgery and correction of spinal deformities. An assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Frazier is also a respected lecturer, accomplished researcher, and published author on spine disorders and treatment. Dr. Frazier graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School and joined the institution’s long history of distinguished speakers when selected to address his 1990 graduating class. He went on to complete a combined surgical internship at the New England Deaconess Hospital and an orthopedic residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition, Dr. Frazier serves as assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and adjunct assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. In recognition of his many accomplishments and prevention-focused approach to patient care, Dr. Frazier was twice named New York Super Doctor by the New York Times Magazine. More recently, he was featured on the cover of The Network Journal. His humanitarian efforts include service on the board of directors for FilmAid International—a charitable organization offering assistance to displaced persons worldwide through the power of film.

Ben Giordano

Ben Giordano is president and owner of Media Syndication Global, a direct mail and advertising firm based in New York. Before founding Media Syndication in 1982, he held the titles of Director and of Vice President at Doubleday and at CBS.

Danny Glover

Danny Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 25 years. His film credits range from the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise to the cult classic “Saw” to smaller independent features. The first “Lethal Weapon” film earned him an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actor. Mr. Glover has also invested his talents in more personal projects, including the award-winning “To Sleep With Anger,” which he executive produced and for which he won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor. In 2005, Glover and his producing partner Joslyn Barnes co-founded Louverture Films, which is dedicated to the development and production of films of historical relevance, social purpose, commercial value and artistic integrity. The company’s credits include the Oscar® nominated documentary TROUBLE THE WATER, the music documentaries AFRICA UNITE, and the Oscar® shortlisted SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION. Mr. Glover currently serves as a UNICEF Ambassador and has received numerous prestigious honors including the 2002 Marian Anderson Award, the 2003 NAACP Chairman’s Award, the 2004 BET Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2009 CBCF Phoenix Award. He is also Chairman of the Board of TransAfrica Forum, a non-profit global justice organization.

Casey Lipscomb

Casey Lipscomb is the General Counsel and Secretary of MIO Partners, Inc. and an Associate General Counsel for McKinsey and Company, Inc. Prior to joining MIO and McKinsey, Mr. Lipscomb was an Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Lipscomb holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University School of Law.

Peter Low

Peter Low, Ensequence’s president and chief executive officer, has an extensive background in television spanning more than 25 years, with expertise in programming and distribution. Before joining Ensequence, Low was executive vice president of cable distribution and marketing for MTV Networks and BET Networks, where he led cable distribution efforts for all 26 of the MTV and BET branded channels. In addition, Low was responsible for negotiating all large distribution agreements and developed the strategy that resulted in the most extensive digital channel launch in the industry. Prior to his position with MTV and BET, Low served as vice president of programming for CableVision. Low currently serves on the board of Cable Positive and the Jazz Foundation of America

Scott McCartney

Scott McCartney is the Chief Customer Officer of Stockperks, a marketplace for listed companies to provide perks to their loyal individual shareholders. Prior to Stockperks, Scott got the startup bug in the early 2000s, growing two different Indian analytics outsourcing businesses to thousands of analysts across diverse industry verticals and geographies and then a expanding a big data analytics technology into new industries as data volumes exploded. He’s now a fully recovered investment banker, but spent time in the oil, gas & chemicals investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston and on the commodities desk at Morgan Stanley. Scott grew up globally, including time in the Americas & Asia, but considers himself an Aussie New Yorker, having moved to the Big Apple from Sydney in 1997. Scott met his wife and active JFA member Alli McCartney when they got their MBA at NYU Stern in 2002. He’s always been an avid music enthusiast across all genres, but when Alli took him to the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2002, he was hooked and hasn’t missed one since. They reside in New York City with their two children.

Geoffrey D. Menin

Geoffrey D. Menin graduated from Yale College (B.A. summa cum laude, 1974) and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1977). A founding partner of Levine Plotkin & Menin, LLP, Mr. Menin has, for over thirty years, represented individual artists and entrepreneurs in film, television, music, fashion and new media, as well as high profile executives in their employment matters across a broad range of industries. An accomplished composer and performer in the rock, jazz and classical genres, Mr. Menin brings to his law practice the ability to understand the creative artist and to guide the development of the artist’s professional activities. Mr. Menin has performed with the likes of Buddy Miles, Stanley Jordan, Odetta, Charlie Daniels and Keith Richards. His original compositions range from a classical song cycle based upon the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke for tenor (voice) and piano to the celebrated “Hymn for Her,” composed for Jennifer Muller’s Mullerworks Dance Company and recorded by Mr. Menin with Paul Winter and Eugene Friesen.

Michael Novogratz

Michael E. Novogratz is the CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners and a former Principal of Fortress Investment Group LLC. Mr. Novogratz joined Fortress in 2002 after spending 11 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was elected partner in 1998. Mr. Novogratz serves as a member of the New York Federal Reserve’s Investment Advisory Committee on Financial Markets. Mr. Novogratz founded and serves as the Chairman of Board for Beat the Streets, a non-profit organization which builds wrestling programs in New York City public schools and is also the Honorary Chairman of USA Wrestling Foundation. Mr. Novogratz is Chairman of The Friends of the Hudson River Park. He also serves on the Board of the Acumen Fund, NYU Langone Medical Center and the Princeton Varsity Club. Mr. Novogratz received an AB from Princeton University in Economics, and served as a helicopter pilot in the US Army. In 2011, the Jazz Foundation gave Michael Novogratz our highest honor, the Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award. He has become a hero to the JFA and to the thousands of musicians and family members.

Robert B. Opatrny

Robert B. Opatrny, a graduate of Yale University and NYU Law School, practices law primarily in the fields of music and media. At the beginning of his career he worked at two major Wall Street firms practicing corporate law, and then established his own practice in 1994. From 2000 until 2007 he acted as Secretary and General Counsel of Pump Audio, Inc., an international independent music licensing company. Getty Images acquired Pump Audio in 2007. Mr. Opatrny serves as General Counsel to WhoSay Inc., an internet and mobile promotion company serving public figures.

Casey Patterson

Casey Patterson is a four-time Emmy® and two-time PGA Awards-nominated, critically acclaimed executive producer who has created an array of groundbreaking programming during her 20-year tenure at Viacom. Casey Patterson Entertainment is a full-service production company producing premium content, live events, and talent-driven series and specials with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. Patterson’s current projects include the breakout hit-series Lip Sync Battle, the highest-rated series in Spike history (now Paramount Network), and Nickelodeon’s Lip Sync Battle Shorties. Additional credits include such high profile events as Lip Sync Battle LIVE: A Michael Jackson Celebration, Netflix’s A Very Murray Christmas, Spike’s One Night Only: Alec Baldwin, Rock the Troops with Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions, The Comedy Awards on Comedy Central, Taraji’s White Hot Holidays, MTV Movie & TV Awards, Guys Choice, The Concert for New York City, The Concert of the Century at the White House, Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary Special, Between Two Ferns – A Fairy Tale of New York, SCREAM Awards, VH1’s Vogue Fashion Awards, VH1’s Divas Live, and NBC’s Concert for America.

Michael D. Pietrowicz

Michael D. Pietrowicz, 53, of Parsippany, NJ, was appointed Chief Strategy Office and Senior Vice President for Planning and Program Development of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in 2014. Prior to this appointment, he served as Vice President for Planning and Program Development (2004 – 2014), Vice President for Physician Network Operations (1998–2002) and Vice President for Operations (1992-1998). He has held executive positions in healthcare for more than 30 years. Prior to joining Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in 1992, he served as Vice President for Hospital and Generals Support Services at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center in Philadelphia. During his three-year absence from the Medical Center 2002 –2004, Mr. Pietrowicz was Vice President and Site Administrator for Beth Israel North Medical Center in New York City. Mr. Pietrowicz is an active volunteer and board member in a variety of organizations including Chair – Visiting Nurse Association of Englewood; Vice Chair – Englewood Economic Development Committee; Parsippany Board of Education; President – Parsippany Little Viking Football Organization and Council Member for the Parsippany Parks and Recreation Commission. He is currently an active member of the New Jersey Hospital Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Medical Group Management Association. Mr. Pietrowicz earned a dual BS degree in Biology and Business Administration from Albright College in 1985 and received an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Temple University in 1987.

Dakota Pippins

Dakota Pippins is CEO & President of Pippins Strategies Group LLC. Pippins Strategies Group focuses primarily on creation of sustainability management strategies for companies and development of urban green infrastructure. Dakota Pippins teaches Sustainable Development

Management and Marketing at New York University and consults/lectures extensively. He maintains that successful marketers in the 21st century must connect their brands to strongly held human family values that promote the triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit. Dakota also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Hormel Foods Corporation, former chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, Adjunct Associate Professor at New York University where he formerly served as Director of NYU’s Management Institute. He recently completed his 20th year of service.

Lee S. Richards III

Lee S. Richards III is experienced in trial work and securities; regulatory, banking, white-collar criminal and commercial litigation; and internal investigations. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Amherst College in 1972, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1975, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Parkhurst Fellow. Mr. Richards was a law clerk to the Honorable Milton Pollack, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York, from 1975 to 1976. From 1977 to 1983, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Richards is a former Adjunct Assistant Professor at Fordham Law School, Chairman of the American Bar Association’s Subcommittee on Criminal Aspects of the Securities Laws, President Emeritus of the Federal Bar Council Inn of Court, a member of the Federal Bar Council Board of Directors, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Inns of Court.

Marc Roth

Marc Roth is a New York City restaurateur and has been involved with the Jazz Foundation for over 7 years. Marc began donating and catering Jazz Foundation events which included musician memorials, performer greenrooms and our famed Loft and Apollo parties. He has provided employment for these musicians with a place to play and has learned how under-appreciated and underexposed some of them are. In past years, Marc sponsored the first live webcast from the Apollo to help increase donations during the event. He has traveled to NOLA and Chicago to help struggling musicians get back on their feet by bringing them food, finding them a place to stay, or supplying them with some money to take care of basic needs.

Abigail (Abby) Scheuer

Abigail (Abby) Scheuer joined the Jazz Foundation of America board in 2012 and joined JFA’s Advisory board in 2009. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Center for Arts Education and KiDS of NYU Langone Health, a Trustee of The Bronx Museum of the Arts and The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), and a member of the Board of Advocates for Human Rights First and the Natural Resources Defense Council. She has a BA from Middlebury College and a Master of Architecture from The Southern California Institute of Architecture.