Jazz Artists of Charleston names Mary Beth Natarajan as new executive director
Jazz Artists of Charleston (JAC), the nonprofit organization that presents the Charleston Jazz Orchestra and Charleston Jazz Festival along with other special events and education programs, has appointed Mary Beth Natarajan as its executive director.
“We are very proud of what JAC has accomplished during our eight-year history,” said Susan Dunn, president of the Board of Directors of JAC. “At this point, we are committed to taking JAC to the next level by enhancing jazz programs, building audiences, developing and supporting musicians, and providing jazz education to youth. Mary Beth’s drive, creativity, leadership and management ability perfectly fits with our organization’s goals. She has an impressive combination of business acumen, event management, and nonprofit marketing expertise to propel us forward. We’re thrilled to have her join us.”
Prior to joining JAC, Natarajan was the president and founder of Jai Marketing, a strategic marketing and branding consultancy serving high-tech clients. Prior to launching her own company, Natarajan was the director of corporate and marketing communication at Blackbaud, where she led the rebranding of the company and grew the annual conference into one of the world’s largest tech events for nonprofits. Natarajan is also a co-founder and marketing chair of the nonprofit organization TEDxCharleston, which curates an all-day conference experience at the intersection of science, art, performance and business meant to inspire, engage and transform.
“I am honored and excited to take the helm of this amazing organization,” says Natarajan. “I have been following their success for a number of years and know the positive impact they have had on our community. We want to build on all of that positive history and take the organization into a more forward-thinking and financially strategic direction so that we can provide quality programs for years to come.”
Natarajan graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. She studied international business at the Ecole Superieure de Commerce in Nantes, France, and received a Master of Arts degree in communication and marketing from the University of Dayton.
Jazz Artists of Charleston (JAC) is a South Carolina-based, nonprofit organization incorporated to foster a professional environment for jazz musicians, artists, students and enthusiasts in the Charleston area. Its mission is to develop, promote, and support a vibrant and creative jazz culture through concerts, special outreach events, and educational programs. JAC endeavors to preserve and bolster Charleston’s rich musical history and legacy as it explores the various realms of jazz in terms of how it is created as well as its stylistic expressions.
Via: Jazz Artists of Charleston