Karen B. Davis has made a career in the arts and cultural sector in diverse metropolitan areas such as New Orleans, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Her career spans a variety of professional arts positions including in television and theatrical lighting design with several regional organizations, director of adult arts programming and special events for the New Orleans Recreation Department, fellow in Public Arts Policy at the National Endowment for the Arts, executive director of a Philadelphia dance company, and more recently, president and CEO of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, affiliated with the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

As leader of the Arts & Business Council, Karen was instrumental in developing the Arts & Business Council concept during its early years. Her responsibilities included the development and implementation of new programs and services, creation of an annual diversified fundraising strategy, public relations campaign, and strategic planning for the organization.  She is credited with developing and implementing 35 new Council programs and services for arts and cultural organizations and leveraging $40 million in contributed goods and services from the private sector to the arts. The Council was honored with the first and only Governor’s Award for "Leadership & Service to the Arts in Pennsylvania."

Karen studied theatrical lighting design at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh and at Emerson College in Boston, and graduated from Goddard College in Plainfield, VT. Currently, she is consulting on nonprofit board governance and training, fundraising in the private and public sectors, and corporate relations strategies for nonprofits.

Session(s):
Business Speak: Can We Talk?

Connie Valentine brings to the ABC extensive experience as an Arts/Orchestra Executive. Prior to moving to Nashville, she served as the Executive Director of the Florida Philharmonic, the largest performing arts organization in Florida. For seven years, she was the Executive Director of the Greater Akron Musical Association, encompassing the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Akron Youth Symphony, the Akron Symphony Chorus, and Akron Symphony Gospel Choir. She also has held the position of Executive Director with the Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale. She began her career as one of seven individuals selected nationally to participate in the prestigious League of American Orchestra’s Management Fellowship program, during which time she worked with the Boston, Hartford, and Oregon Symphony Orchestras. She moved to Nashville to be married and assumed the position of Executive Director of the Nashville Chamber Orchestra until 2008, when she was named to her current position. Throughout her orchestra career, Connie continued to hold national leadership roles in the League of American Orchestra’s manager associations, and has been a speaker/presenter at the local and national level. She holds a BS in Business Administration and a minor in music.
 

Session(s):
Business Speak: Can We Talk?