The California Bluegrass Association in San Francisco has announced the appointment of Helen Foley as their new Executive Director. She succeeds Pete Ludé, who had served in this position since 2020, and is now retiring.
Helen brings a wealth of experience to the job, and a love and respect for bluegrass music. She has directed the CBA Kids on Bluegrass program since 2019, and came up in the program herself as a girl. She is also a member of the CBA board of directors. Prior to accepting this position she worked as the director of marketing and community programming for the Hanna Center in Sonoma County.
Ted Kuster, chair of the CBA board of directors, says of their new hire…
“We are delighted that we’ve been able to snag Helen Foley as our executive director. Helen’s deep knowledge of the California bluegrass community, along with her national ties, not to mention her business chops, are exactly the recipe we were looking for to keep building on our string of wins.”
Additional experience in the bluegrass world for Foley includes being a graduate of the Leadership Bluegrass program with the IBMA this year, plus she is a working bluegrass bassist and vocalist, as well as a songwriter in the bluegrass community.
CBA President Theresa Gooding shares her high expectations.
“Helen’s story is really a CBA story. She grew up in our youth program and in this music community, and she has always found ways to give back to both. In her stepping forward to lead the CBA, I can’t think of a better example of what makes this community so special: generations choosing to stay involved and carry our traditions forward.”
In saying farewell to Pete Ludé, the CBA recognizes his strong leadership, and his help in raising the profile of bluegrass music in the state, and note that their many events saw growth and profitability under his direction. They also thank him for his role in a number of new CBA initiatives brought online during his tenure, like their Bluegrass Bridge which brings music instruction to prisoners, Spectrum Bluegrass for neurodivergent folks, the BEAR fund to support musicians with health issues, and their Afternoon Bluegrass Club which offers music instruction in underserved areas.
Ted Kuster spoke for the whole board, saying…
“We couldn’t be more grateful to Pete for his visionary leadership over the last few years. He’s done an amazing job of bringing people and resources together to set the CBA up for our next 50 years of growth and service.”
You can learn more about the CBA, who like to boast of being the largest bluegrass membership organization in the world, online.
