Omar Ingram, Chair
International Association of Blacks in Dance
Washington, DC
For more than 10 years, Omar has worked in both the commercial and not-for-profit arts sectors work with leading global influencers that include The Public Theater, STOMP/NYC, and Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, to support and unlock new opportunities to advance one of the world’s leading arts influences – diversity in the arts.
His focus and passion have led to work with living legends that include Debbie Allen, George Faison, and Phylicia Rashad; serving IABD in a number of capacities from volunteer to Programs Director; and serving nationally as a consultant, facilitator, and non-profit board member and advisor.
Today, Omar co-leads IABD’s growing team of changemakers in delivering vital arts programming and support that include the annual conference and festival, Comprehensive Organizational Health Initiative | Managing Organizational Vitality and Endurance (COHI | MOVE), FRWD, and The Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet. In addition, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for DC-based percussive dance organization SOLE Defined, and consultant to organizations that include Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
A former 2019 Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training (DILT) Fellow, Omar is a graduate of Howard University’s College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre Arts (now, the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts), and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and minor in Arts Administration.
Jennifer Roe, Treasurer
Folk Alliance International
Kansas City, MO
Jennifer Roe stepped into the Executive Director role of Folk Alliance International (FAI) in early 2024. She joined the team in 2013 assuming a pivotal role in leading FAI’s staff and contractors and overseeing the day-to-day operations.
Jennifer’s dedication to the organization reflects her commitment to fostering the rich tapestry of folk music and sustaining a vibrant, interconnected community. With a political background prior to FAI, she is a strong advocate for arts and culture at both federal and state levels.
Under Jennifer’s guidance, FAI’s global network has expanded to include more than 3,000 members—a diverse community of cultural sector entrepreneurs and leaders encompassing artists, record companies, publishers, presenters, agents, managers, arts administrators, diplomats, and more. The organization will continue to grow in diversity and service of the membership including scholarships, enhancing FAI’s regional chapters, and advocating strongly for the rights and interests of the independent music sector.
Christopher Eanes, Secretary
Chorus America
Washington, DC
Christopher Eanes is a musician and arts leader devoted to engaging people in the transformative art of choral singing. As President and CEO of Chorus America, he and his team work to strengthen the choral sector through strategic advocacy, groundbreaking research, and the annual convening of hundreds of choral leaders.
Throughout his twenty-five-year career, Chris has served in every role within the choral community—from singer and teacher to conductor, administrator, and board member—collaborating with youth, professional, and community organizations across the globe. His concert work has spanned four continents, taking him from the historic venues of Italy and Australia to the vibrant stages of South Africa and across the United States.
Chris launched his career teaching high school choir in northwest New Jersey before spending a transformative decade as Artistic Director and CEO of the Cincinnati Boychoir. There, he balanced world-class international collaborations with accessible community performances while nurturing the artistic and social development of more than 100 young singers annually.
Chris is the founder of Collegium Cincinnati, a professional choral-orchestral ensemble renowned for historically informed performance, and the co-founder of the Young Professionals Choral Collective alongside his wife, KellyAnn Nelson. Drawing from this innovative work, he regularly consults with choral organizations to help them discover and articulate their unique artistic vision.
From 2019 to 2024, Chris served as Executive Director of the Cathedral Choral Society, the symphonic choir-in-residence at Washington National Cathedral. Under his leadership, the organization expanded its programming to celebrate emerging and traditionally marginalized voices, attracting over 10,000 patrons annually and reaching audiences across 22 countries.
Chris discovered his passion for choral-orchestral music and conducting as a student at Occidental College, after beginning his musical journey as a pianist. He pursued advanced studies in Los Angeles and Milan before earning his doctorate in choral music from the University of Southern California. His scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed articles on music history and the boy’s changing voice, emerging from innovative collaborative research with the Cincinnati Boychoir and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He recently completed a term as column editor for Choral Journal.
Before entering the classroom in 2000, Chris harbored dreams of life as a professional sailor, having crossed two oceans in what could best be described as distressingly small vessels. Today, he proudly calls Washington, D.C.’s historic Brookland neighborhood home, where he resides with KellyAnn and their two children.
