Living Jazz Names Lyz Luke Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Living Jazz Names Lyz Luke Executive Director

“Executive Music Enabler” Is Uniquely Positioned  to Take Organization Through Its Next Phase

(Oakland, CA, February 9, 2023) - Living Jazz announces the appointment of Lyz Luke as its new Executive Director. Founded in 1984 by Stacey Hoffman, Living Jazz has built and cultivated jazz rooted music education and performance programs for the Bay Area and beyond.  After almost four decades, Stacey Hoffman has stepped down from her role as Executive Director and will focus on the upcoming Jazz Camp West and Jam Camp West summer programs

Lyz Luke started as Living Jazz Associate Director in February 2020 and has been the organization’s Interim Managing Director for the last year.  In these roles, Luke worked closely with Hoffman and the Living Jazz staff through the toughest years of the pandemic.  The team worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of Living Jazz by identifying and securing relief funds and creating digital programs and online education activities.  Luke launched the Living Jazz Pickup Sessions to address serious issues around food insecurity and, in the summer of 2021, Living Jazz was able to safely and successfully bring back the internationally recognized in-person summer programs - Jazz Camp West and Jam Camp West.  This summer, Jazz Camp West will be held June 10-17, 2023 in La Honda, CA and Jam Camp West will be held July 15-21, 2023 in Loma Mar, CA.

“I am thrilled to be the next Executive Director of Living Jazz,” says Lyz Luke.  “It has been an honor to work with Stacey for the past three years and I have been inspired by the heart-centered leadership she puts into every Living Jazz program. I promise to continue to lead the organization with this same approach for the next forty years.  There is no role that better suits my passions and skill set than leading this organization into the future.”

“Lyz is profoundly dedicated to our mission and programs,” says Living Jazz Founder Stacey Hoffman. “Over the past 3 years, she has proven herself to be extremely hard working, focused, and dedicated to the heart and soul of Living Jazz. Her vast and unique talents, insights, and profound love of the arts blend together to make her the perfect next Executive Director.”

“As a Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for Living Jazz, it is my pleasure to welcome Lyz as our new Executive Director,” said Flora Zambakari. “She embodies the organization’s values and is the perfect person to propel us into the future.  Lyz brings with her not only the passion for the organization and its mission, but over 15 years of development, cultural programing, and community empowerment expertise. She will ensure that Living Jazz preserves, upholds, and amplifies jazz music in the Bay Area and around the country.”

This leadership change comes at a time of strength for the organization.  The Board of Directors has emerged from a year-long assessment to better position itself to expand and support Living Jazz’s mission of transforming lives through the music, spirit, and culture of jazz. The organization’s jazz-rooted performing arts education programs has expanded rapidly with the Living Jazz Children’s Project in 16 schools. Living Jazz is envisioning new programming in mentoring, the establishment of jam sessions, and renewed partnerships with local schools and businesses.   In 2024, Living Jazz will celebrate the return of “In the Name of Love,” the organization’s musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the presentation of the Oakland Humanitarian Award.

Lyz Luke is an “Executive Music Enabler” with over a decade of experience building relationships and working for numerous Bay Area arts organizations. A resident of Oakland, Luke has presented concerts and events throughout the Bay Area and has worked with over 150 diverse local bands and over 2,000 local musicians. Her passion is building a stronger community through music and the arts. Luke’s performance management, production, and development background is bolstered by extensive experience nonprofit fundraising, event planning, and public relations. Lyz is known for founding the award winning series UnderCover Presents in 2010 and she has worked with Oakland Symphony, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), Embodiment Project, Red Poppy Art House, ArtSpan (SF Open Studios), AIDS Walk, The San Francisco Marathon, and others. She is a Governor on the SF Board of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) since 2016; Secretary of the Board, Levitt Pavilion Denver; 2017’s YBCA 100 List; Grants Panelist for Oakland Cultural Funding Program and City of Denver Music Advancement Fund.  Luke received her B.S. in Economics from St. John’s University and has a NCAA Championship ring in fencing.

For more information, visit LivingJazz.org.

Media Contact: Marshall Lamm, mlammpr@gmail.com, 510-928-1410

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