Vanguard Music and Performing Arts (VMAPA), is pleased to announce a newly elected slate of Executive Officers. Jennifer Bauman will lead the Executive Officers and VMAPA Board of Directors into 2021 as the next President and Board Chair.
“The organization is facing so much uncertainty due to the current state of the world, but it is during times of adversity that VMAPA shines the brightest,” said Bauman. “We have short-term goals that change quickly depending on current events, but this is the new normal for many organizations. We are good at adapting on the spot, and we continue to keep our eyes on the horizon so that VMAPA will be able to continue serving its mission for many years to come.”
Joining Jennifer on the Executive Officer team is Treasurer Amy Lipshy, who will be taking over Jennifer’s previous role as Chair of the Finance Committee. Cyd Antang also joins the leadership team as Secretary, and long-time board member Linda Garbarino will resume her role as Vice President.
Deepak Natarajan will serve as President-Elect, a newly created role that is part of an initiative to bring more equity to board leadership. “I’m honored to serve our organization in this new role. VMAPA’s success in fulfilling its mission hinges on our ability to bring in diverse perspectives at all levels of the organization. I hope to continue cultivating this inclusive culture as President-Elect,” said Natarajan.
Jennifer is the first Asian American woman in Vanguard’s 53 year history to serve as President, and the seventh woman to assume the equivalent seat. As Chief Financial Officer of one of the few Black-owned architectural firms in the United States, Jennifer is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the company, including the finance, accounting, human resources, and business operations functions.
She is an alumnae of Santa Clara Vanguard and has been serving as Board Treasurer for the past several years.
Jennifer is the founder and chair of Vanguard’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. She is also the founder and advisor of the Vanguard Emerging Leaders, a youth advisory board consisting of current members and young alumni who provide guidance to the Board of Directors from their generation’s point of view.
“Representation matters. The marching arts community itself is very diverse but we must all do better in terms of representation at all levels of the activity. Vanguard is listening and taking action. We hope that our diverse community will see that Vanguard is taking a hard look at itself, and is fully committed to being the leader of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Advocacy in the activity. My own hope is that POC women and girls out there will see me in a leadership role of this caliber, and will believe that they can do it too,” said Bauman.
“I am lucky to have so much support from the board, and from our excellent Interim Executive Leadership Team made up of Jeremy Van Wert, Mike Kovalich, and Michael Gaines. I have wonderful mentors who continue to guide me such as, immediate Past President, Laura Lee Norris. We have staff, members, volunteers, and alumni who love this organization dearly and we work hard every day with them in mind.”
For more information about Vanguard Music and Performing Arts, home of the Santa Clara Vanguard, Vanguard Cadets, Youth Brass Ensemble, Youth Percussion Ensemble, and Santa Clara Big Band, visit www.scvanguard.org.