Board of Directors

Meet the Board

FAI is governed by a volunteer board of directors representing leadership in the folk music industry worldwide.

The board is elected by the voting members of the organization each fall, and an annual general meeting of members is held during the conference each year. Our board- and membership-approved bylaws are available here.

Learn more about the board election process here.

To read each director’s biography, please click on their name.

Ashley Shabankareh

Ashley Shabankareh

President (Term End: 2024)

Artist / NFP Arts Administrator, Artist Corps New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Region: SERFA

Reid Wick

Reid Wick

Vice President (Term End: 2026)

Sr. Membership & Project Manager, Recording Academy
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Region: SERFA

Rosalyn Dennett

Rosalyn Dennett

Secretary (Term End: 2026)

Executive Director,

Folk Music Ontario
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Region: NERFA

Kevin Dalton

Kevin Dalton

Treasurer (Term End: 2024)

Certified Financial Planner :tm:

 Wiles+Taylor & Co.

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Region: SERFA

Lynn Cingari

Lynn Cingari

At-Large (Term End: 2025)

Agent, Wasserman Music
Monterey, California, USA

Region: FAR-West

Ayappa Biddanda

Ayappa Biddanda

Term End: 2024

Sr. Director, Concord 

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Region: SERFA

Beau Bledsoe

Beau Bledsoe

Term End: 2025

Artist, Ensemble Iberica

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Region: FARM

Mariah Czap

Mariah Czap

Term End: 2026

Co-General Manager at Yep Roc Records

Durham, NC, USA

Region: SERFA

Iona Fyfe

Iona Fyfe

Term End: 2025

Artist/Director, Traditional Music and Song Association

Glasgow, Scotland

Catalina Maria Johnson

Catalina Maria Johnson

Term End: 2024

Journalist/DJ, Beat Latino

Chicago, Illinois, USA 

Region: FARM

Laia Canals Kverneland

Laia Canals Kverneland

Term End: 2025

International Projects Manager at Tempi

Copenhagen, Denmark

Sara Leishman

Sara Leishman

Term End: 2025

Executive Director, Calgary Folk Festival
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Region: FARM

Art Menius

Art Menius

Term End: 2026

Folk Radio Promoter and DJ, Art Menius Radio

Rougemont, NC, USA

Region: SERFA

Gary Paczosa

Gary Paczosa

Term End: 2024

VP A&R, Rounder Records
Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Region: SERFA

Ann Powers

Ann Powers

Term End: 2024

Critic and Correspondent, NPR Music 

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Region: SERFA

Caroline Randall Williams

Caroline Randall Williams

Term End: 2026

Artist / Author / Scholar, Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Region: SERFA

Guillermo Subauste

Guillermo Subauste

Term End: 2025

Producer
Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Region: NERFA

Laura Thomas

Laura Thomas

Term End: 2024

Owner/Agent, ComboPlate Booking
Austin, Texas, USA

Region: SWRFA

Gerald Torres

Gerald Torres

Term End: 2025

Professor of Law, Yale University
Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

Region: NERFA

Brandi Waller-Pace

Brandi Waller-Pace

Term End: 2024

Artist/Founder, Decolonizing the Music Room

Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Region: SWRFA

Tina Wroblewski

Tina Wroblewski

Term End: 2025

Outreach Manager at Small World Music

Toronto, ON, Canada

Region: NERFA