Nashville In Sync has revealed its 2026 Board of Directors.

Big Yellow Dog Music’s Alex Stefano will lead as President. Honestly Good Music’s Katie Jelen will serve as Vice President. Additionally, Heather Cook, Paige Reese, Amanda Kelso, Sarah Flick, ET Brown, Amber Stoneman, Liz Rogers Langham, John Moses, Kourtney Kirkpatrick, Brandon Schott, Ben Short, Emma Smith, Daniel Higbee, Emily Belue, Zach Green and Jamie Baranski will take on various roles within the Board.

Nashville In Sync is a coalition of music licensing professionals dedicated to elevating the sync community, focusing on the core pillars of opportunity, connection, education, diversity, celebration and event excellence.

Nashville In Sync’s 2026 Board of Directors:
President – Alex Stefano
Vice President – Katie Jelen
Secretary – Heather Cook
Treasurer – Paige Reese
Communications CHAIR – Amanda Kelso
Communications CO-CHAIR – Sarah Flick
Membership CHAIR – ET Brown
Membership CO-CHAIR – Amber Stoneman
Panels & Events CHAIR – Liz Rogers Langham
Panels & Events CO-CHAIR – John Moses
Community Liaison CHAIR – Kourtney Kirkpatrick
Community Liaison CO-CHAIR – Brandon Schott
Volunteers CHAIR – Ben Short
Volunteers CO-CHAIR – Emma Smith
Social CHAIR – Daniel Higbee
Social CO-CHAIR – Emily Belue
Sponsorship CHAIR – Zach Green
Sponsorship CO-CHAIR – Jamie Baranski

Patricia Leonard.

The ASCAP Foundation has appointed Patricia Leonard as Executive Director. She follows Nicole George-Middleton, who was recently promoted to Executive Vice President, Head of Creative Membership at ASCAP.

“For 50 years, The ASCAP Foundation has succeeded by providing recognition and support so that developing music creators of all kinds can flourish,” says Paul Williams, ASCAP Foundation President. “We are elated to have Patricia Leonard take over the Executive Director role and confident that her love of music and her deep background in the arts and philanthropy will enable the Foundation to continue to thrive for years to come.”

“I couldn’t be happier to join an organization with such noteworthy roots in the music community,” adds Leonard. “The Foundation’s history of providing music education and nurturing aspiring songwriters and composers while extending the legacies of some of its most accomplished members is truly special and I look forward to sustaining that mission.”

She was formerly Chief Philanthropy Officer with the Princess Grace Foundation, where she led the planning and execution of charitable events and sponsorship opportunities and created new programs such as the Crown Patrons Society for high-value donors. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Institutional Giving for the Manhattan Theatre Club and as Director of Institutional Relations for the Metropolitan Opera. Leonard serves on the boards of the New York New Music Ensemble and New York Women Composers, and is a founding member of the New York Composers Circle.

ECCHO Live has expanded its Board of Directors, adding Joe Birdsong (CFO, Premier Global Productions), Joseph Logsdon (Account Rep, 3G Productions), David Schultz (Tour Manager, Parmalee), Aaron Siebert (VP Global Projects, Tait), Marni Wandner (Founder, Future Present) and Taylor Watson (Tour Manager, Hardy).

“ECCHO Live is continuing to expand our reach as we grow our mental health and financial coaching initiatives and beyond,” says Chris Lisle, Founder of ECCHO Live. “These new board members deeply understand the challenges and needs of the live event industry. Their knowledge and passion will help us continue to serve this community in meaningful ways.”

The board expansion follows the recent hiring of a new Program Manager and Director of Marketing.

Robert Earl Keen & Flatland Cavalry

Robert Earl Keen and Flatland Cavalry are set to headline Troubadour Festival in Bryan, Texas March 27-29.

The weekend begins March 27 with a free kickoff party at The Palace Theater in Downtown Bryan, featuring performances by American Aquarium and Shelby Stone. The main festival will take place March 28, at Midtown Park with Keen and Flatland Cavalry, plus Waylon Wyatt, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Tyce Delk, Taylor Hunnicutt, The Kruse Brothers, and Julianna Rankin. 

The weekend concludes March 29, with a BBQ Brunch at The Palace Theater featuring an acoustic set from Jason Boland in honor of the 25th anniversary of Jason Boland & The Stragglers. In addition to live music, attendees can explore food from 30 award-winning barbecue restaurants from across Texas.

Tickets go on sale on Friday (Dec. 19) here.

“We can’t wait to bring Troubadour Festival to Midtown Park in Bryan in 2026,” says Chase Colston, festival promoter and Co-Owner of Double Tap Entertainment. “We had three great years at Aggie Park, but we are excited to curate an entire weekend of events in Bryan with our pre-party, festival and Sunday brunch. The barbecue and music lineups are top-notch in all aspects. The overall experience is going to be bigger and better than we’ve had before in Bryan-College Station. We can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Troubadour Festival will benefit Hogs for the Cause, the festival’s official charity partner that provides financial assistance to families across the country with children undergoing treatment for brain cancer. To date, the organization has distributed more than $15 million to families and hospital programs.