July 17, 2012
After its tenth consecutive season of record box office admissions, the Savannah Music Festival (SMF) announces three new appointments to its Board of Directors along with the transition of HunterMaclean’s Harold B. Yellin from Secretary to Chairman.
“We’re very pleased to invite several community leaders to our Board beginning in 2013 and look forward to Harold Yellin’s increased involvement as Chairman,” remarks Executive & Artistic Director Rob Gibson. Mr. Yellin’s forthcoming tenure follows a three-year term of service by Immediate Past Chairman Bob Faircloth, whose leadership helped bring the organization steady growth in a challenging economic climate.
Harold Yellin (Chairman) has been on the SMF Board of Directors since 2007 and has served as Secretary since 2010. Mr. Yellin is a Savannah native and a Partner in the Savannah office of HunterMaclean, practicing in the areas of Commercial Real Estate, Zoning/Land Use and Commercial Leasing. He has served as President of Congregation Bnai Brith Jacob and the Savannah Jewish Federation. Mr. Yellin has served on several other Savannah boards, including Union Mission, Silent Witness, Workmen’s Circle Credit Union and Rambam Day School. He attended the University of North Carolina as an undergraduate, followed by earning an M.B.A. and J.D. at Emory Law School.
Jennifer Abshire is CEO, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Abshire Public Relations, a firm that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. After earning a public relations degree from Georgia Southern University, Ms. Abshire moved to Savannah where she managed organizational development and public relations for the American Red Cross and Parent and Child, Inc. In that role, she was responsible for raising more than $3 million a year. She served on Savannah’s Olympic Committee as Executive Director in 1996, and has since served on the Savannah International Alliance and advisory boards for Georgia Southern’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Savannah Technical College and Union Mission.
William Dickinson, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and CEO of Wet Willie’s Management Corp. Originally from New York, Dr. Dickinson served in the US Army from 1967 to 1970. He began his practice in Savannah in 1981, specializing in Neuropsychology, Police Psychology and Forensic Psychology. Dr. Dickinson has served on or provided pro bono services and/or funding to the following Boards or charitable organizations: Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire, Tourism Leadership Council, Ossabaw Island Foundation, Historic Savannah Foundation, Savannah Technical College Foundation, Armstrong Atlantic University Scholarship Fund and St. Mary’s Home for Children.
Andrew A. Wade, M.D. is a general radiologist and Partner at SouthCoast Medical Group. Dr. Wade received undergraduate degrees in Latin and Genetics at the University of Georgia, followed by his M.D. at Emory University School of Medicine and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was selected as one of “Savannah’s 40 Under 40” in The Business Journal and Report in 2009 and was a Leadership Savannah participant in 2008-2009. Dr. Wade has served on the Savannah Community Foundation’s Emerging Leaders’ Committee, the Board of Directors for Georgia Bikes, and is the Founder and Chairman of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign.
ABOUT THE SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Savannah Music Festival presents a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences in Savannah, Georgia. The 2013 festival runs from March 21 through April 6, including more than 100 performances of jazz, classical, Americana and world music throughout the historic district of Savannah. For more information, visit www.savannahmusicfestival.org.
