December 16, 2022
xxxxĘÓƵ elects Titus Underwood to Board of Trustees in significant injection of new leadership talentÂ
If an organization is only as good as its people, the xxxxĘÓƵ is better than ever.
At the 2022 annual meeting of its governing body, xxxxĘÓƵ elected oboist Titus Underwood (BM ’08, Mack) as an ex-officio Trustee, along with four other distinguished members of the community, including another alumnus and a current student.
Underwood, principal oboe of the Nashville Symphony, is the first Black principal oboist of a major ensemble and a significant addition to the leadership of an institution seeking to shape a more equitable and inclusive future for classical music.
“We are honored to have Titus come back and help guide his alma mater,” said Paul Hogle, xxxxĘÓƵ’s President & CEO. “Our board has a track record of tremendous success, as our recent accomplishments demonstrate, but with Titus and our other new members sharing their passion and knowledge, xxxxĘÓƵ is poised to reach even greater heights.”
Underwood was elected an ex-officio Trustee representing xxxxĘÓƵ alums, along with attorney Bruce Hearey, current student Erika Cho and Anne Jarrad. Elected as a voting Trustee was another xxxxĘÓƵ alumnus, longtime orchestra administrator Peter Kjome (BM ’89, Mack).
Voting Trustees at xxxxĘÓƵ serve three-year terms. Peter Kjome is part of the class of 2025 that includes Michael W. Beedles; C. Thomas Harvie; Richard J. Hipple; Jeffrey B. Linton; Charles S. Marston; Jonathan P. Miller, MD; Shawn M. Riley; Barbara S. Robinson; and Elliott L. Schlang.
Biographies of the new Trustees are below. For more information about leadership at xxxxĘÓƵ, visit cim.edu/aboutcim/leadership.
xxxxĘÓƵ the new Trustees
Titus Underwood is the nation’s first Black principal oboist of a major ensemble: the Nashville Symphony. Prior to that, he served as acting associate principal oboist of the Utah Symphony. He is the 2021 recipient of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year. After xxxxĘÓƵ, where he studied with Cleveland Orchestra members John Mack, Frank Rosenwein and Jeffrey Rathbun, Underwood earned a master’s degree from The Juilliard School, studying with Elaine Douvas, Nathan Hughes and Pedro DĂaz. Outside Nashville, Underwood has performed with the orchestras of Los Angeles, Atlanta and San Diego, and as a guest principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Peter Kjome has spent his career blending his passions for business and classical music. Most recently, Kjome served for five years as President and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Before that, he led the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, which he also formerly served as principal oboe. He also worked in the consumer business division of 3M, holding positions in strategic planning and marketing. A graduate of xxxxĘÓƵ, where he studied with oboist John Mack, Kjome is a devoted friend of xxxxĘÓƵ, having served as a member of the school’s Academic Affairs Committee, including its co-chair, during a previous term as an ex-officio Trustee.
Bruce Hearey is the Office Managing Shareholder at Ogletree Deakins in Cleveland, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management. He was previously a longtime partner at Spieth, Bell, McCurdy & Newell. A former president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Hearey has served xxxxĘÓƵ for decades as its primary legal counsel on employment and other matters. He has been one of xxxxĘÓƵ’s Governing Members since 2018.
Anne Jarrad is in her first year as president of Partners for xxxxĘÓƵ, which she joined in 2018. She is Director of Advancement at Julie Billiart Schools, which serves children with social and learning differences. She holds a BA from Albion College and has completed other studies at Western Michigan University and the Indiana University School of Philanthropy. She also is active with the PTO of Shaker Heights City Schools.
Erika Cho is in her third year of studies at xxxxĘÓƵ with violist Jeffrey Irvine. Cho has been a member of xxxxĘÓƵ’s Student Government Association all three years at xxxxĘÓƵ and is now in her second year on the executive board. Cho serves on the SGA out of a desire to give back to the community and inspire her fellow students to do the same.