Andrew Johnston - Executive Director And founder

After graduating from DePaul University with degrees in Jazz Studies and Performing Arts Management, Andrew began a two-year teaching commitment with Teach for America. During his two years in the program, Andrew taught music and math at an underserved high school in Nashville. Andrew founded Jazz Empowers in 2014 after seeing the major need for jazz programs in underserved schools, and in 2015 launched a pilot program in two schools in Nashville. Since the launch of the pilot program, Andrew has led Jazz Empowers to significant growth. Jazz Empowers currently serves 10,000 students in 420 underserved schools, and under Andrew leadership has raised over $3.3 million to support jazz programs in underserved schools. Andrew is also an accomplished trombonist that has performed with jazz greats such as Terrell Stafford, Jeff Hamilton, and Phil Woods. You can email Andrew at andrew@jazzempowers.org

Danny Fernandez - NYC Regional Director

After graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Music Education and Saxophone, Danny spent the next 3 years as the founder/arranger/leader of a Salsa/Timba group that played various parts of the Southwest.  In 2008, Danny moved to Los Angeles, California, where he spent the next 6 years teaching and finishing his Masters degree in Woodwind Performance at Cal-State University Fullerton School of Music. Touring Portugal as the featured soloist with the CSUF Wind Symphony.   In 2015, Danny moved to NYC and began teaching with Jazz Empowers one year later.  Danny is entering his 22nd year teaching in schools and has since become the Regional Director for NYC of Jazz Empowers.  As a musician, Danny has been running a weekly jam session in Astoria, N.Y. called The Ditmars Sessions since 2021 and plays every Sunday at The Last Word in Astoria with his quartet.  You can email Danny at dfernandez@jazzempowers.org.

Michele Bendekovic - Board President

With over 30 years of experience in talent management and career development, Michele is a passionate and culturally fluent leader, advisor and coach. She helps organizations and individuals achieve their strategic and organizational goals by fostering a culture of inclusion, engagement, and excellence. As a Talent Advisor and Coach at Faegre Drinker, Michele supports the firm's commitment to talent development by providing guidance, feedback, and coaching to attorneys and firm leadership. Michele also designs and delivers effective strategic planning and training programs that enhance the firm's reputation and performance. Previously, Michele served as the first Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Bass, Berry & Sims, where she developed and implemented the firm's DEI strategy and initiatives. She is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to attorney talent management and DEI. Michele holds a MA in Personnel Administration and Industrial Relations from St. Francis University and a BA in History from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has completed additional coursework in mental health awareness and project management. Michele is a certified coach and graduate of the Volta Coach Training Program, demonstrating proficiency in the Core Competencies of the International Coaching Federation and meeting all the requirements of the VOLTA Coach Training Program.

Vicky Blue - Board Member

Since starting her marketing career 15+ years ago, she has excelled at developing best in class strategy for consumer packaged goods industry leaders such as The Clorox Company, Del Monte Foods, and SC Johnson. Vicky is a creative junkie. She received a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu which she channeled into a cooking for program during her time living in Chicago. Vicky is a native of the Bronx and currently resides in Nashville with her husband and twin boys.

Sam Carver - Board Treasurer

Sam Carver is a Senior Consultant within Deloitte’s M&A Advisory practice and the Life Sciences and Healthcare industry group. He primarily serves private equity clients on financial due diligence engagements related to their potential acquisitions of healthcare providers. An Atlanta, Georgia native, Sam is a graduate of Wake Forest University (BS’17, MSA’18) and is a licensed CPA in the state of New York. He recently relocated to Nashville from New York City with his fiancé, Julia, and their goldendoodle, Franklin.

William Conwell - Board Member

William was and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Stratford High School in East Nashville and attended Tennessee State University. William currently owns a janitorial company and run a small independent record label with his son. William has been working in the nonprofit space for the last ten years and more specifically the last five with Humble Beginnings, a mentoring program that works with MNPS.

Taylor Dillon -Board Member

Hailing from Champaign, Illinois, Taylor attended Belmont University and graduated with his B.B.A. in Management before heading down to the University of South Carolina to earn his M.Ed. in Higher Education & Student Affairs. After working at a university in Boston, Taylor returned to Nashville and Belmont where he currently serves as the Assistant Director of Admissions for the Massey College of Business. Taylor recently completed his M.B.A. at Belmont’s Massey Graduate School of Business where he focused on marketing, storytelling in a sales context, brand awareness/introduction, and marketing analytics. Taylor is an alumnus of Nashville Young Leader’s Council (Nashville Class 74). As a former classical tubist and jazz trombonist during middle and high school, Taylor was fortunate to compete at Essentially Ellington, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Midwest Clinic. Passionate about education, music, and access, Taylor is excited to join Jazz Empowers’ Board of Directors to ensure that any student who wants to learn, love, and play jazz can do so. 

HArmony Duke - Board Secretary

As Project Manager and Systems Director for local businesses, Harmony enjoys supporting creative companies to achieve business growth. A native Tennessean, she moved from Memphis to Nashville to study Commercial Music with an emphasis in jazz vocals at Belmont University. She later moved to London and graduated with a Master’s in Arts Administration from Goldsmith’s where she interned with the Royal Opera House. She now works with entrepreneurs and small businesses in the local creative sector. She is passionate about helping artists and creatives grow their businesses through organization, management and systems-thinking. A few of the companies Harmony works with include Powell - which has designed and built some of the top hospitality spaces in Nashville, Local Honey – a group of local hair salons, and Great Feeling Studios - a podcast production company. In her spare time, you can find Harmony traveling, hiking, playing with her cats Gus and Arlo, and staying involved in music – a lifelong passion.

Oleg Gershkovich - Board Member

While growing up in Philadelphia PA, Oleg Gershkovich reluctantly joined his high school jazz band and yet fell madly in love with the music, the improvising with friends and, a few years later, after moving to New York City, the dancing.

Realizing that this culturally significant art form and its accompanying benefits to our communities is in perpetual danger of extinction due to slashed school budgets, Oleg decided to join the Jazz Empowers board. He is excited to be on the front lines of inspiring future generations of musicians and share his passion with fellow board members.

Oleg currently is based in Brooklyn NY and works for Voya Investment Management. He is incessantly seeking out live music and new venues everywhere he goes and is wood shedding everyday (well almost everyday).

Brianna Latham - Board Member

Brianna Latham, a product of Metro Nashville Public Schools, graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA with a degree in Education and Child Studies. Upon her return to Nashville, she embarked on her career serving as Communications Director for the TN Democratic Party, Vice President of Operations for The Urban Journal, in Institutional Advancement for Fisk University and with the Community Foundation of Middle TN. Brianna then took a break from her career and became a foster mother, fostering over 60 children. After over 10 years, she retired her formal foster role and is back in the workforce as a Realtor® with a passion for building wealth through residential and commercial real estate. A proud mother to six boys who remind her that life is all about balance and priorities, running and great music help keep her grounded.