Voting is now open for the AIMP Nashville Chapter’s 2021 Board of Directors, with three Board seats open and five candidate finalists looking to fill those spots—including Concord Music Publishing’s Duff Berschback, SESAC’s ET Brown, Big Machine Music’s Alex Heddle, songwriter/producer and 102.1 The Ville founder/Program Director Shannon Sanders, and ASCAP’s Mike Sistad.

Voting is open to AIMP Nashville Chapter members and all AIMP Premier Professional members, regardless of Chapter. Current members received an email with a link to the voting form on Monday (Oct. 19), and new members will also receive the link via email after they complete the registration process.

Voting ends Oct. 23, with winners to be announced on Dec. 10. AIMP’s New York and Los Angeles Chapters will also hold their Board elections later this month.

This year’s AIMP Nashville Chapter Board of Directors candidates are:

DUFF BERSCHBACK – Concord Music Publishing
Berschback started in the music business representing songwriters, artists, producers, and music publishers. In 2007, he joined Sony/ATV in Nashville, eventually becoming its SVP for Business Affairs. He was responsible for all business and legal affairs of SATV in Nashville, including negotiating writer agreements, valuation and closing of catalog acquisitions, and litigation oversight. In March 2020, Berschback joined Concord Music Publishing as its EVP of business affairs. He now oversees Concord’s global BA team and is responsible for Concord’s worldwide strategic transactional business, including major acquisitions and significant new media licenses. He also guides Concord’s legislative initiatives, leads litigation strategy and oversight, and provides publishing insight to Concord’s Theatricals and Recorded Music divisions.

ET BROWN – SESAC
Brown joined SESAC’s licensing team in 2009, quickly moving to the Creative Team in 2010. After serving as Manager, Creative Services, he was promoted in early 2020 to Senior Director of Creative Services, where he is responsible for identifying and cultivating new talent across multiple genres. Brown leads SESAC relationships with affiliate writers and publishers in pop/rock and Americana. Over the years, he has worked closely with Skid Row, Nothing More, Black Stone Cherry, Killswitch Engage, as well as Americana greats Margo Price, Jim Lauderdale, Elizabeth Cook, Hayes Carll, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. In addition, Brown’s deep admiration for the craft of songwriting has been instrumental in curating and participating in events throughout the community including the Nashville Film Festival, GRAMMY Next, and TONS. Brown is a graduate of Belmont University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in the Music Business program. He is a member of the Americana Association, AIMP, CMA, ACM, IBMA, and the Recording Academy.

ALEX HEDDLE – Big Machine Music
Heddle is the Vice President of Publishing at Big Machine Music, a full-service, independent music publishing company, and sister company of the Big Machine Label Group. Since joining in 2013, Heddle has been vital in the signing and daily development of hit songwriters Jessie Jo Dillon, Ryan Hurd, Maddie & Tae, Josh Thompson, and Benjy Davis. Under his creative direction, the company has consistently placed inside Billboard’s Quarterly Top 10 Publishers lists, totaled 37 country radio No. 1’s, spent 23 total weeks at No. 1 for the Billboard Country Airplay 2020 Chart-Year, and recently enjoyed a span of 40 consecutive weeks with a share of the No. 1 song on the Hot Country Songs chart due to the mega-hits “10,000 Hours” (Dan + Shay) and “The Bones” (Maren Morris). Heddle currently serves as a Music Row Ambassador for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and a member of the AIMP Nashville Awards committee.

SHANNON SANDERS – Award-Winning Producer & Songwriter and Founder/Program Director of 102.1 The Ville
Sanders has the kind of list of accomplishments that truly makes you wonder if he’s somehow been blessed with more hours in the day than the rest of us. Nationally, he’s best-known for his GRAMMYs (2), Emmys (2) and Dove (1) award. But in Music City, the place that is perhaps the most-fitting for his resume, Sanders holds an endless list of titles and positions. Not only is he the founder and program director of Nashville Scene’s “2018 Best Soul Radio Station” pick, 102.1 FM THE VILLE and a National Trustee of the Recording Academy, Sanders is also a city commissioner for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, a board member of the Nashville Ballet, a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Inc. and, he was one of the music industry leaders selected for Leadership Music’s Class of 2017.

MIKE SISTAD – ASCAP
Originally from Minnesota, Sistad has worked on both the creative and business sides of the music industry. As a musician, he has performed across most of North America, including stops at the Houston Rodeo and Calgary Stampede, as well as radio and TV performances including Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and the Grand Ole Opry. A Belmont University graduate, Sistad has worked with legendary Muscle Shoals producer/musician Barry Beckett, as an A&R executive with Arista Records Nashville, and as a band member for 2-time ASCAP Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year Phil Vassar. In his current role as Vice President of Nashville Membership, Sistad continues to work with all aspects of the music industry as it pertains to songwriters, artists & publishing companies. Recent successes include Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce and many others. Sistad has previously served as both a Board Governor and Chapter Advisor for the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy in addition to being a CMA, ACM member and Leadership Music alumni.