IEBA Executive Director, Pam Matthews, To Retire

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Pam Matthews. Photo: Courtesy of IEBA

Pam Matthews, Executive Director of IEBA, will retire in early 2025 after 45 years in the music industry.

Since 2013, Matthews has been at the helm of IEBA, the premier nonprofit trade organization for live entertainment professionals involved in buying, booking and selling talent. IEBA hosts an annual conference in Nashville, fostering connections among industry members. In 2017, the organization launched its Educational Outreach Fund, providing up to 50 scholarships annually to students enrolled in music business programs across North America.

“Pam Matthews has been a transformative leader, guiding IEBA through unprecedented growth and setting a standard for industry trade organizations,” says IEBA’s Immediate Past Chairman Eric Bresler. “These growth years are part of her legacy, and she should be enormously proud of that. We look forward to building on the strong base she and her team have built for IEBA’s future.”

“Congratulations, Pam, on your successful tenure as Executive Director of IEBA. Your undeniable history of success and dedication has inspired many and has left an indelible mark on our industry,” adds Barry Jeffrey, President of IEBA Educational Outreach Fund board. “As you embark on this new chapter of retirement, may it be filled with joy, adventure, and the fulfillment of all your dreams. Here’s to new beginnings!”

“Thank you to Eric, Barry and IEBA’s board of directors for their leadership and support throughout my time with the organization,” Matthews shares. “The IEBA staff and our board are some of the finest folks I’ve had the privilege of working with over my many years in this business.”

Matthews began her career as a teenager, working in the box office at Mid-South Coliseum and as a runner for Mid-South Concerts. In the ’80s, she spent time on the accounting teams for KISS and Ozzy Osbourne.

Matthews was part of the Pace Concerts team that designed, constructed and managed Starwood Amphitheatre, where she spent four seasons. She then went on to spend 12 years with The Judds and Wynonna, serving her last years as Vice President/Treasurer of their corporations. Her work with the two includes five Grammy wins, their 1991 farewell tour, the launch of Wynonna’s solo career and their 1999/2000 reunion tour.

In 2000, Gaylord Entertainment appointed Matthews as General Manager of the historic Ryman Auditorium. During her eight-year tenure, the venue received its National Historic Landmark status and became one of the top-grossing theaters in the world.

Commonly included on top industry executive lists, Matthews has served on the board of directors of Nashville Downtown Partnership, Opry Trust Fund, Americana Music Association, Music City Music Council and Leadership Music, where she is in her 21st year as a member of the Live Music Day committee.

IEBA’s Executive Committee will begin the search for Matthews’s replacement immediately. Please direct all inquiries to info@ieba.org.

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