Music fund names first director
Published 11:33 am Monday, December 21, 2015
JazzClubsNW, a non-profit organization dedicated to live jazz performance and educational programs in the Pacific Northwest, has hired Gregory Malcolm as its first executive director. The creation of this role marks a pivotal moment for the organization, previously called the Boxley Music Fund, going from volunteer-run with a focus on the Snoqualmie Valley to a professionally directed network expanding throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“Over the past six years at Boxley’s we’ve developed and refined a member-supported model for bringing jazz students together with pros on the local and national scenes,” said Danny Kolke, who founded the North Bend-based club. “When I started getting calls from communities as far as Portland and… Vancouver, B.C., I knew it was time to bring in a professional to run the organization.”
Malcolm has more than 17 years of experience in leadership positions for non-profit organizations in the Pacific Northwest including the Swedish Medical Center Foundation, Encompass and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In his new role, he will professionalize the organization’s fundraising and oversee development of a sustainable, repeatable, and scalable business model.
“I’ve seen Danny’s passion and vision of ‘more jazz everywhere’ take seminal form, and the potential for this model to transform jazz education throughout the region is inspiring,” says Malcolm, “Teaming with Danny, the board of directors and the membership, I am thrilled about this opportunity to lead an organization that will inspire even more scholarship, education, fund development opportunities, to realize that potential.”
Malcolm takes the reins at a moment when the momentum of JazzClubsNW has reached a new high point. Its recent regional expansion has been fueled by support from local communities and the leadership of Pacific Northwest heavyweights including Kareem Kandi, Julian MacDonough, Jay Thomas and Thomas Marriott. In addition, the organization has conceived, developed and delivered programs featuring nationally renowned artists including Louis Hayes, Pete Christlieb, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joey DeFrancesco, and Marcus Printup of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
“In October, my combo supported Marcus Printup for an in-studio performance at KPLU,” says Will Crandell, a senior at Mt. Si High School in Snoqualmie. Crandell has been an active participant in the program at Boxley’s since the sixth grade, and is now applying to five conservatories in pursuit of a career in music. “Without this program, Marcus Printup doesn’t come to me. He stays in New York City and mentors those kids instead.”
Malcolm and his wife, Carolyn, have lived in the Snoqualmie Valley since 1994, currently residing in North Bend, and have been very active in the local community. Mrs. Malcolm serves as the public information officer for the Snoqualmie Valley School District. They have two sons, one a sophomore at Mt. Si High School, the other a sophomore at the University of Washington.
The Will Crandell Project performs with Marcus Printup at KPLU’s “School of Jazz” studio session JazzClubsNW is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting live jazz performance and educational programs in local communities across the Pacific Northwest.
