Long time IBMA staffer Nancy Cardwell has been selected by the organization’s Board of Directors to serve as Interim Director until a permanent replacement for Dan Hays can be found. Hays resigned as Executive Director effective 2/29.
Nancy has been with IBMA for 17 years, and might be fairly described as the institutional memory of the organization at this juncture. Her elevation is reported to have been a unanimous decision by the Board, necessitated by the longer-than-expected time line for choosing Hays’ successor.
In a statement this morning, Cardwell says…
“It’s an honor to serve during this time of transition. I’ve been a part of the IBMA team for 17 years and I still believe strongly in the good we can accomplish as an industry and community, working together for the future of bluegrass music. When I played bass for the Wildwood Girls in the early ’90s, I was the one who didn’t mind taking the 4 a.m. shift driving the van….
Jill Crabtree (my co-worker for the past 11 years), the Board, a network of hardworking committees and I will be doing our utmost to move forward during the next few weeks while we plan World of Bluegrass 2012, consider site selection for the next three years of the conference and launch Bluegrass Nation—as we continue to examine the most effective ways to help new audiences discover bluegrass music.
Much has been accomplished during the past 26 years, but there’s so much more we can do if we band together and re-commit ourselves. It’s an exciting time for bluegrass music and for IBMA.”
Tough gig, but she is surely up to the task.
