New World Symphony Elects New Board Of Trustees

The New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), has elected two of South Florida's rising leaders to join its Board of Trustees.

Tracey Robertson Carter, the Founding Board Chair of the South Florida CARES Mentoring Movement, and Mark Kingdon, internet / tech investor and founder of Quixotic Ventures, joined the NWS board in December, and will contribute their expertise to the growth and development of one of South Florida's most dynamic arts organizations.

NWS Board Chair Edward Manno Shumsky said of the new appointments, "Tracey is a marketing executive who brings leadership and entrepreneurial experience to her non-profit initiatives. Mark is a business leader who has been a consultant, CEO and is now an investor. Tracey and Mark are attuned to the cultural pulse of Miami. They understand New World Symphony's unique contributions as an active agent in the growth of our community. The New World Symphony's Board of Trustees is thrilled to welcome them."

Tracey Robertson Carter is the Founding Board Chair of South Florida CARES Mentoring Movement, a group-mentoring initiative focused on the social and emotional wellness of challenged youth in Florida. Robertson Carter earned her BA at Northeastern University in Boston, and is a graduate of Scuoloa Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence, Italy. Over the past 15 years she has dedicated her time to launching youth arts and philanthropic efforts in her former hometown of San Francisco. In Miami, she was the Founding Director of the Leadership Circle at MOCA, and also launched #Superfriends at Williams Park in Overtown and Art Detectives at the Pérez Art Museum, Miami (PAMM). She currently serves as Education Committee Co-Chair at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA) and as Arts Chair for The Links Incorporated, Greater Miami Chapter. Robertson Carter previously worked in Brand Management for Levi Strauss & Co., and launched the clothing line OSO (sold at Barney's New York, which was featured in Elle and Cosmopolitan magazines). She and her husband Christopher are active locally at the NSU Art Museum, PAMM and ICA, and support art, social justice, environmental and educational NGO programs in Miami, New Mexico, Grand Rapids (MI), Shelbourne (VT) and Jamaica.

Mark Kingdon is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a BA in Economics and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He started his career in management consulting at Coopers & Lybrand (which later became PwC through the merger of Price Waterhouse and C&L) and quickly moved up the ranks to Partner. Kingdon ran three tech companies (Organic - NASDAQ: OGNC; Second Life; NiftyThrifty), and today runs Quixotic Ventures which invests in early internet/tech companies. Kingdon has supported two dozen early internet / tech companies to date, including: Twitter (for which he was an early investor), Refinery29, OfferUp, TheRealReal.com, and SKTCHY. Kindgon has almost 25 years of for-profit board experience.

When asked why he decided to move to Miami from New York three years ago (and prior to that, San Francisco), Kingdon said, "Miami is an early-stage city tech-wise, and I like to get in on the ground floor. I think Miami has tremendous potential as a tech center. There's a great group of catalysts like The Knight Foundation working hard to foster a startup culture."

The New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), prepares graduates of music programs for leadership roles in professional orchestras and ensembles. In the 30 years since its co-founding by Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas and Lin and Ted Arison, NWS has helped launch the careers of more than 1000 alumni worldwide.

A laboratory for the way music is taught, presented and experienced, the New World Symphony consists of 87 young musicians who are granted fellowships lasting up to three years. The fellowship program offers in-depth exposure to traditional and modern repertoire, professional development training and personalized experiences working with leading guest conductors, soloists and visiting faculty. Relationships with these artists are extended through NWS' extensive distance learning via the internet.

NWS Fellows take advantage of the innovative performance facilities and state-of-the art practice and ensemble rooms of the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, the campus of the New World Symphony.

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