The New York Pops Announces New Board of Directors Appointments and New Staff Addition And Promotions

The New York Pops announces the appointment of Donnovan Andrews, founder of HumanWorks, and Anthony V. Thompson, Financial Advisor and Principal at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, to its Board of Directors, in addition to its appointment of current Board member John Gardner as Treasurer of the orchestra's Board. Gardner, currently Entrepreneur in Residence at Acrew Capital, has been on the Board since 2014.

The New York Pops also announces two staff promotions-Stephen Furda has been promoted to Marketing and Communications Coordinator from his previous position as Development and Communications Assistant, and Jamie Moses has been promoted to General Manager from her previous position as Assistant Director of Development. Monica Marchese also joins the staff as Development Manager.

"We are thrilled to welcome Donnovan Andrews and Anthony Thompson to our Board of Directors," said New York Pops Executive Director Anne Swanson. "Donnovan's innovative and collaborative approach to new opportunities, as well his network in tech, media and advertising will be vital to expanding The New York Pops reach. Anthony's impressive financial services career, as well as his non-profit board experience with Estee Lauder Foundation and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, will add valuable perspective to the Board as we plan for our 2022-2023 40th Anniversary Season."

"John Gardner has been an active member of The New York Pops Board since 2014," said James A. Read, Chairman of The New York Pops Board of Directors. "His professional background and institutional knowledge will continue to be a great service to the organization in his new role."

With a wealth of experience in international tech, media, and advertising-and an expansive background of entre- and intrapreneurship-Donnovan Andrews decided to act on his passion to accelerate the traditional approaches to global humanitarianism: through innovation and collaboration. Donnovan is the founder of HumanWorks, a freelance marketplace platform for booking gigs from content creators, designers and writers. But unlike any other company in the industry, HumanWorks centers marginalized freelancers seeking income opportunities with global companies, while also giving back to society through its transformative business model.

In 2016, he founded Overture to leverage his connections, and to foster dialogue and partnerships, with the ultimate goal of encouraging development of technology solutions that will improve the lives of humankind.

As an industry expert, Donnovan has been featured in VentureBeat and MediaPost, and as a CNBC contributor. He has lectured about media and technology at Columbia Business School and in Paris at Sciences Po University and Université Paris Dauphine. He has a Bachelor's in Political Science and Journalism from St. Bonaventure University, and an Executive Education Certificate from Wharton Business School.

John Gardner has spent his 20+ year career as an investor, serial entrepreneur and business leader in financial services. He looks for opportunities to improve the financial lives of millions through solutions that are at the intersection of world-class digital customer experience, enabling technologies, innovative business models in both regulated industries and the emerging DeFi space.

Currently, he is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Acrew Capital. Previously he was the Head of Investing at SoFi. John was a co-founder of LearnVest, Inc, a subscription-based financial planning service, acquired by Northwestern Mutual in 2015. He was a Founding Partner in Cabezon Capital Management, a Global Macro Hedge fund focused on investing in Emerging Markets.

John has been a Board Member of the New York Pops for the past seven years. He is also a Board Member of the David Lynch Foundation, an organization that promotes and teaches Transcendental Meditation.

John is married to Kathryn O'Connor and has two children Jack (6) and Cole (4). He graduated from Lehigh University ('95) with a BS in Marketing & Finance and a Minor in Philosophy. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Anthony V. Thompson joined the New York office of Bernstein Private Wealth Management in 2008 as an advisor to high neta??worth families and foundations. He brings to his clients over 25 years of experience in financial markets. Working with his clients and their accounting and legal professionals, he advises on all matters relating to financial planning including estates, trusts, structured gifts, concentrated stock positions, and retirement. With his foundation clients, Mr. Thompson works closely to develop spending and investment policies; he also provides donor education on complex gifting strategies and guidance on capital campaigns.

Prior to joining Bernstein, from 2000 to 2007, Mr. Thompson was a managing director and head of U.S. Securitization Research for Deutsche Bank. He was the #1 analyst in his sector as ranked by Institutional Investor Magazine. From 1997 to 2000, he served as a Director of Research at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and was one of firm's topa??ranked Institutional Investor analysts. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Thompson was employed by Goldman, Sachs & Co. as an investment banker engaged in the design and execution of financing solutions for clients. He serves as Treasurer for the Estée Lauder Foundation, and is a Board Member and Audit Chair of the World Monuments Fund, as well as a Board Member at FIAF - Alliance Française and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

He was named a Notable LGBTQ Leader of 2021 by Crain's New York and was also named a Five Star Top Financial Advisor by New York Magazine. Mr. Thompson is a contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and has been an on-air guest for Bloomberg Television. His research has been published in the Fabozzi Handbook of Fixed Income Securities.

Mr. Thompson is a graduate of Emory University, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (fluent in French).

The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Led by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series at Carnegie Hall, and is among the venue's most presented ensembles. Now in its 39th season, The New York Pops' annual birthday gala is celebrated each spring, raising funds for the orchestra and its education programs. The New York Pops performs annually in Queens, NY at Forest Hills Stadium, a 14,000-seat historic concert venue.

The New York Pops celebrates the diversity of popular music's evolving songbook. Every concert is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with influences ranging from Broadway melodies to film scores, jazz, rock, pop, and everything in between. Under Reineke's dynamic leadership, The New York Pops continues to re-imagine orchestral pops music.

Through its PopsEd music education programs, The New York Pops fulfills its dedication to lifelong learning by collaborating with public schools, community organizations, and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. PopsEd allows thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in fully customizable music programs that blend traditional education with pure fun.

The New York Pops is committed to serving all members of the community. Through its Kids in the Balcony and Kids in the Stadium programs, thousands of children and their parents have had an opportunity to see The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and Forest Hills Stadium free of charge. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Pops adapted its PopsEd programs to provide remote learning opportunities to students, and orchestra musicians were featured in new digital performances.

The New York Pops was founded by Ruth and Skitch Henderson in 1983 with a mission to create greater public awareness and appreciation of America's rich musical heritage through presentation of concerts and education programs of the highest quality. The New York Pops is a non-profit organization supported solely through the generosity of individual donations, institutional grants, corporate sponsorships, and concert income.