NYC Gay Men's Chorus Announces New Board Leadership

Big Apple Performing Arts, home of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus and the Youth Pride Chorus, has announced its newly elected Board of Directors. Elections held last week confirmed eleven new members and one second-term member each with an impressive set of skills and a wide range of notable professional and personal experience.

The current period resulting from the COVID-19 global health crisis has meant that BAPA, like so many performing arts organizations, has been largely on hiatus for many months. The new Board of Directors hopes to re-launch programming in early 2022 pending safe and healthy conditions so that the choruses may again take their place as world-renowned performing arts leaders and a voice for the LGBTQI+ community.

Additionally, the outgoing Board will be handing over to the new leadership several recent institutional changes and new policies. BAPA is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and has taken the time, under the forced hiatus, to examine its policies, history and actions. As such, the new Board will be implementing the newly established Anti-Racist, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy as well as a new, more efficient and clearer Grievance Response Process.

Board Chairperson, Donovan Jones, stated:

Our organization has been through so much in the past couple of years. It is so heartening to witness how much the membership and this new group of leaders have already shown their desire and capacity to step up and collectively lead the organization into our next era of singing together. I'm very excited for the energy and skills this new board collectively possesses.

The newly elected Board will have its first official meeting on the 16th of October and is comprised of Dan Baillie (elected for a second term), Emily Baum, Troy Blackwell, Michael Brady, Tym Byers, Michael R. Dekker, Drew Fifield, Garrison Gibbons, Virginie Glaenzer, Nelson Gonzalez, Dr. Ronald Milon and Josh O'Sullivan. Three current board members, Marco Benjamin, Erika Byrnison and Donovan Jones (Chairperson), are at the midterm point of their service and will continue with the Board until the next elections. Phil Bialer will also continue to serve on the board as the Chair of the Membership and Social Team for the Chorus.