Andrea Gural, a native New Yorker, came to know the Bloomingdale School of Music as a parent in the mid-2000s.  All four of her children have taken music lessons at Bloomingdale, including piano, flute and guitar.  Andrea took piano lessons for over 10 years as a child and young adult, and hopes to get back to playing again in the future.  Andrea and family also enjoy taking advantage of the many community concerts offered at Bloomingdale.

Andrea has worked in consulting, strategic planning, project management and finance in a variety of industries.  She has also done non-profit consulting for numerous organizations.  She currently is the Director of Finance and Operations for NYU Global Programs.

Brad, a native New Yorker, developed a passion for classical music during a several year stay in Budapest in the mid-90's. He came to appreciate the importance of music instruction and a supportive musical community through his daughter, who took piano lessons and participated in chamber programs and group recitals from kindergarten through high school. Brad lives on the Upper West Side and joined the Bloomingdale board to support its mission of providing high quality music education to all, and regularly attends Bloomingdale concerts.

Brad is a partner of the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, where he focuses on corporate and transactional law. He regularly counsels non-profits with respect to business transactions and is a co-founder of the Brown Alumni Non-Profit/Social Impact Group.

Burton Kassell first moved to the Upper West Side in 1962. Born in Brooklyn, and a graduate of Baruch School of Business class of 1958, he began a career in sales and later ventured into real estate. He is the chief executive officer of the Palindrome Corporation which he founded in 1974 as a multifamily residential owner, developer and manager.

Burton is the longest serving BSM board member. For him, a music education is part of being a well rounded person, as essential as reading or looking at art. His belief in the importance and value of BSM extends to his own family, with his children having attended the school.  His support of BSM then and now is fueled by his love for children, his belief in the transformational power of music education, and the desire to ensure access to high quality music education for all who seek it. His deep interest in the arts includes time spent backing Broadway plays, collecting art, commissioning contemporary artists and serving on the Board of Directors of Art Space, a nonprofit with a mission to create, foster, and preserve affordable and sustainable space for artists and arts organizations.

Cat McKenzie is a digital and broadcast professional who has worked with CBS, ABC and Sony Television. Born in Minnesota - she has lived on the Upper West Side for the past 20 years.

She found of the love of music at an early age studying piano and clarinet and carried that love all the way through college majoring in music. She is excited to help bring opportunities to study music like she had growing up to a new generation.

As a television professional Cat’s musical knowledge has served her well.  She’s won multiple Emmy awards including one for her documentary celebrating Alvin Ailey’s 50th Anniversary. 

Cat now serves as Executive Producer for ABC News Live and “GMA3: What You Need to Know.” In this role she launched and created an all-new weekday afternoon program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously she was a Senior Producer for ABC News Live, America’s #1 streaming news channel. She has been at the forefront of producing ABC News’ live streaming coverage including the Oscars, 2016 conventions, 2018 midterms and the impeachment hearings. In 2020 she was also an executive producer for two timely and essential primetime specials on ABC, “America in Pain: What Comes Next” and “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming,” which ranked #1 in its times slot.

Cat is on the board of MS Hope for a Cure - and goes to a lot of Dave Matthews Band Concerts in her free time.

Fenney Kuo-Addesso is a business analyst and project management professional with responsibility for process re-engineering and automation of regulatory reporting at Morgan Stanley. She has been with the firm for five years. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley as a Vice President, she held a similar position at Credit Suisse for four years. 

Before pivoting to the area of business analysis and project management, Fenneyspent the majority of her career in corporate financial planning and analysis having worked in major financial institutions.

Fenney has done a wide range of financial analysis including budgeting, forecasting, capital expenditure, and strategic analysis. Her leadership and analytical skills have been instrumental in helping the Morgan Stanley Regulatory Reporting team gain efficiency and accuracy in their reporting to the Federal Reserve Bank.

Fenney holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University Stern School of Business, and bachelor’s degree in economics and business/industrial psychology from Lafayette College.

Hannah Hart is the Chief Operating Officer for the Operations & Enterprise Risk organization at Apollo Global Management. Prior to joining Apollo in 2022, she held a variety of roles in Finance and eCommerce at Pernod Ricard USA, the world’s second-largest wines and spirits company.

Hannah earned her BA in Biochemistry with a concentration in Business from Hanover College, where she was also awarded a Piano Performance scholarship. A lifelong classical pianist and passionate advocate for arts education and inclusion, Hannah brings both strategic insight and a personal love of music to her role on the board. She is energized by new experiences, building community, and expanding access to creative opportunities for all.

Jake Cinti is devoted to promoting positive change within organizations and groups, focusing on the intersection of social impact and business. His career spans youth development, DEI, nonprofit management, and real estate. He began at the University of Michigan’s Program on Intergroup Relations, where he focused on diversity and inclusion education across university affiliated organizations such as Greek Life, The Bridge Program, and The School of Public Health. He went on to work as a capacity building consultant for Youth Driven Spaces at Neutral Zone—a youth-led nonprofit with a strong focus on arts, music and activism—through which he helped dozens of youth-serving nonprofits across the country build tangible strategies for youth leadership. During this time, Jake was also a Diversity and Inclusion instructor at UM’s Ross School of Business and a fellow in UM Ross’s Center for Positive Organizations. Seeking new avenues for impact across the nonprofit sector, Jake joined Transwestern’s Nonprofit Practice in New York City, and more recently OPEN Impact Real Estate, where he focuses on helping nonprofits identify real estate strategies that align with their mission, maximize affordability, and take advantage of uniquely available incentives. Through his work with OPEN, Jake has partnered with nonprofits of all sizes and types, including Sheltering Arms, The Barrow Group, and Goodwill NYNJ, to support transformative real estate projects ranging from state-of-the-art performance spaces to ground-up schools.

On the extracurricular front, Jake is a multi-instrumentalist; his roots are in punk, from which he graduated to folk music, and producing hip hop and electronic music. He is a founding board member of Mobile Studio, an afterschool nonprofit in Denver, CO that provides accessible music education & production to young people across the city, through a fully mobile professional recording facility.

Lastly, Jake is an ordained minister, with a number of weddings under his belt to date.

Jake received his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Michigan, and his MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Jean Marie is originally from Buffalo, New York.  She has resided in the New York City metropolitan area since 1971 and received her Masters Degree in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University (1973).  Jean Marie grew up with a deep love for all types of music (especially piano music).  She enjoyed taking piano lessons during childhood and always loved hearing talented pianists from her church or neighborhood play the piano in her house.  

While living on the Upper West Side (from 1971-1991), Jean Marie discovered the Bloomingdale School of Music in 1982 after seeing a flyer at Teachers College.  She began to love attending and supporting concerts, programs and activities at the school over the years.  Jean Marie has been on the Board of Directors since 1995 and serves on the Event Committee.  She also took Piano Lessons with Marc Peloquin (BSM Resident Teaching Artist) in the late 1990’s (and hopes to return to piano study in the near future).

Jean Marie is a retired Teacher and Educator.  She worked 32 years at The Children’s Aid Society, Foster Care Division (New York City) as Education Coordinator and Consultant prior to retirement.  Jean Marie advocated for several foster care youth to study music at BSM and the school generously provided scholarship assistance to them.  

With two decades of classroom teaching and nonprofit/organizational leadership experience and a proven track record of arts education program development nationally, Jerry Phelps is a sought-after arts education professional specializing in curriculum design, program design and development, professional development, teacher coaching, and organizational sustainability. In addition to a variety of classroom and private teaching experiences, Phelps served as the Director of Arts Education and eventually the Director of Co-Curricular Programs for Democracy Prep Public Schools.

He subsequently served as Director of Arts for Bronx Charter School for the Arts. In these positions, he managed and oversaw the development and growth of dozens of school-based arts education programs, national award-winning speech and debate programs, and physical education and athletic programs across the nation. Among his awards and recognition, Phelps was named a quarter finalist by the RECORDING ACADEMY© and THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION© for the inaugural Music Educator Award. As a seasoned singer and performer, Phelps can be seen on stage frequently throughout New York City in a variety of solo shows and one-off performances. In addition to Senior Director of Special Projects at Neighborhood Charter Schools and Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury, Phelps currently serves as the Principal Consultant and founder of the New York City-based arts education consulting firm, CORE Arts Consulting. Phelps earned bachelor's and master's degrees in vocal music education and recently completed an executive certificate in arts and culture strategy at the University of Pennsylvania and a certificate in nonprofit management at Manhattan College.

Joe Mangrum is a Principal and head of the health insurance practice at ECG Management Consultants, a boutique healthcare strategy consulting firm. He advises boards of directors and C-suite leadership on financial, operational, M&A, strategic, audit, and regulatory initiatives. 

Prior to consulting, Joe worked at UnitedHealthcare where he led the northeast compliance team responsible for adhering to government programs (Medicare and Medicaid) regulations and requirements in eight states. His day-to-day responsibilities included interacting with state and federal regulators and providing due diligence reports on mergers and acquisitions.

Originally from Michigan, Joe completed undergrad and law school there, and started his career at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, before moving to New York City. Joe is a proud Upper West Sider and lives in the neighborhood with his wife (Katie) and daughter (Grace). 

Outside of BSM, Joe also volunteers his time with The Association of Community Employment Programs (ACE). ACE works alongside New Yorkers who have histories of homelessness, incarceration, and addiction to provide job training, work experience, and a lifetime support network that helps participants achieve their goals and establish economic independence.

Joe enjoys live jazz, hip hop, and relentlessly continuing his never-ending quest to find the perfect slice of pizza.

Juliana Zhang was born in China and relocated to Canada at a young age where she completed all her studies before moving to New York City over 8 years ago for work. She is currently an Executive Director at Perella Weinberg Partners, focused on Mergers & Acquisitions.

She developed a strong interest in music since childhood and played various instruments growing up, including a Chinese instrument and the violin. She believes music is a powerful force that brings people together, improves their mental health & well-being, and promotes rapid cognitive development in children. She is excited to join BSM Board to help bring high-quality music education to all. 

Juliana graduated from McGill University in Canada with a Bachelor’s degree, majoring in Finance.

Komal Tirmal is a Manager at PwC, based in New York City, specializing in professional services.

Born in India she brings a global perspective to her work, delivering strategic solutions to clients in a dynamic business environment.

Outside the office, Komal enjoys traveling, discovering new cuisines, and expressing her creativity through watercolor painting

Kristin Booth Glen has been involved with BSM for almost 50 years, as a member of the first Advisory Board of the then-Bloomingdale House of Music, the mother of 2 students, now themselves in their 50’s, and more recently as a returning and underachieving (but very grateful) adult piano student. In her professional life, as a graduate of Stanford and Columbia Law School, she has been a constitutional lawyer who helped save New York’s classical and jazz radio stations in the 1970’s, a law teacher (NYU, Hofstra and NY Law Schools), Dean of the CUNY School of Law, and a trial and appellate judge (most recently as Surrogate, New York County). 

After her mandatory retirement from the bench in 2012, Kris returned to CUNY as a University Professor, and currently directs Supported Decision-Making New York (SDMNY), a project promoting the human right of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to make their own decisions on an equal basis with all others, using the supports necessary to exercise their right to legal capacity. SDMNY is beginning its seventh year working with people with I/DD and their families with a new $4million grant from the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Kris has lived on the Upper West Side for 60 years, and is excited about the opportunity to bring the joy of music to more of her neighbors, especially older people and those with disabilities and to promote diversity, equality and inclusion.

Margaret has been an ardent supporter, player and lover of music for the last 20 years. She is thrilled to support Bloomingdale's mission to bring opportunity and access to high quality music education for all. A New Yorker for the last 10 years, she lives in the West Village with her husband and dog. 

Margaret is a Vice President at Morgan Stanley in the Investment Banking Division. She received a B.A. with highest distinction and honors in both Economics and Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University as a Robertson Scholar.

Paavana Kumar helps major advertisers, retailers, disruptive e-commerce companies and startups assess risk and comply with the shifting landscape of advertising and media law. Clients rely on her counsel as they work to promote innovative products, run high-exposure campaigns and streamline the online customer experience. She received her JD from Columbia Law School and her BA from Princeton University.

Whether she’s counseling on a discrete issue or working with global legal teams for international campaign clearance, Paavana delivers practical advice for clients at all stages of growth — from subscription box startups to major technology and retail companies. She is also closely following industry trends such as the rising use of generative AI. She is a recognized thought leader who frequently speaks and writes about e- commerce and influencer marketing for in-house counsel and industry stakeholders.

A native of Louisiana, Patrice Jean has lived in the northeast for several years, and has been a parent at Bloomingdale School of Music for six years.  Patrice and her husband Darren Collins love BSM, where her two children now study.  She would like to devote her time, energy, and experience to supporting the school as a board member.  Patrice is a patent lawyer and one-time research scientist, having received her M.A. (1999) and Ph.D. (1999) from Princeton in molecular biology, and law degree from Columbia University (2002).  She is a member of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, which awarded her the title "Private Practitioner of the Year" in 2018. 

Ruth Levine graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A in Anthropology. She later received her J.D with honors from George Washington University in 1975, and in 1981, graduated with an M.B.A from UPenn. Ms. Levine’s career has taken her from law to finance, and her longest position has been as Principal and Senior Analyst at The Vanguard Group. 

Ruth Levine has been a member of numerous professional associations and has volunteered at places such as the Central Park Conservancy and Interschool Orchestras of New York.

Sarah is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in private practice for over 20 years on the Upper West Side, and an Upper West Sider since birth.  Her involvement with music started in childhood when she studied piano and violin (often playing with her father, a pianist, and brother on cello), and continued through high school, summer music camp, and college where she played in orchestra and chamber groups.  When she and her husband had their own kids, it was important to them to give them the opportunity to learn instruments and to reach a level where they would be able to experience the joy of being able to play with others.  

Her connection to Bloomingdale began with their kids' experience with private lessons. She’s spent countless hours at the school--at lessons, rehearsals, and so many concerts—and have been incredibly grateful for the wonderful combination of pedagogical rigor and community spirit that has nurtured her children and given them a  deep involvement with and love for music.  She is very interested in helping support the ongoing mission of the school to expand music education to underserved kids and communities and to help study issues of student retention and engagement.

Sherry Glied, originally from Toronto, has lived on the UWS for 30 years. Her connection to BSM dates back to 1999, when her daughter began violin lessons. Since then, Sherry, her husband, her daughter, and her son have all, at various times and sometimes simultaneously, been students at BSM.  Among them, they've studied violin, piano, oboe, bassoon, and voice, and played in the BSM orchestra. Sherry continues her piano lessons, under the patient tutelage of Roberto Hidalgo.

When (sadly) not practicing, Sherry, a healthcare economist, serves as Dean of the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.

Wayne Agard is an Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at TIAA, a Fortune 100 organization and the leading provider of financial services and products in the academic, research, medical, cultural and governmental fields. Prior to his post at TIAA, he served as a Senior Vice President, Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a private financial services firm in NYC providing private banking, investment management and related services to its clients. Wayne began his legal career in the legal department of The Church Pension Fund, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization in NYC that provides pension, insurance, and related benefits to its participants.

Wayne developed an interest in music at a young age when he was encouraged by his parents to take piano lessons. He grew to appreciate the positive effects of the practice of music on cognitive development in young students, and is interested in promoting music education to young people particularly.

Wayne earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Fordham University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Brooklyn College, City University of New York.  He lives in Norwalk, CT and enjoys travel, cycling, Jazz, and spending time with his family.