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Board of Directors
Mark Williamson, Chair
Frances Levine, Vice-President
Treasurer
Ben Harris, Secretary
Steve Brown
Tom Gibson
Robbin Rahman
Jerry McEver
J. Robert Holmes
Dr. Brent Runnels, Executive and Artistic Director
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About our Board of Directors
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Mark Williamson
Chairman
Mark Williamson is a partner and chair of Alston & Bird's Wealth Planning Group. He
is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and practices in the areas of
estate planning and federal taxation. |
He practiced with the Milwaukee law firm of Foley & Lardner before joining Alston & Bird and
has been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, as well as Georgia
State University. Mr. Williamson was on the faculties of the 1997 and 1999 Estate Planning Institutes
in Athens, Georgia, and the 1997 and 2000 Fiduciary Law Institutes in St. Simons, Georgia. He
received the Estates and Trusts Magazine 1997 "Best Young Author Award" for a series
of articles he co-authored with Professor Jeffrey Pennell of Emory University, and is listed in Super
Lawyers magazine. From 1984-1988 he performed as a member of the United States Air Force Band in
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Williamson received his B.M., cum laude, in music from Louisiana State University in 1981 and his M.M. in music from
the University of North Texas in 1983. He also studied at the doctorate level at Louisiana State University and the
Catholic University of America. He received his J.D. in 1991 from the Florida State University College of Law, where
he graduated with highest honors, was made a member of the Order of the Coif, and served as executive editor of the Law
Review.
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Ben Harris
Secretary
Ben Harris is a Senior Investment Advisor with Wilmington Trust. He has over two decades of experience managing
equity and fixed income portfolios on behalf of pension plans, endowment funds,
foundations and individual clients. |
His investment career began in 1988 with SunTrust Banks in Atlanta, Georgia as a Portfolio Manager in the Personal Asset Management Department where he served as an investment advisor for fiduciary relationships. Prior to that, he was a structural engineer with an Atlanta firm.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Mr. Harris received his BS in Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He earned an MBA from the Georgia State University J. Mack Robinson College of Business with a concentration in Finance. He is a member of the CFA Society of Atlanta and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA® Institute.
Mr. Harris is actively involved with Junior Achievement of Atlanta. He is also a past Co-Chair of the American Heart Association's Fulton County annual fundraising campaign.
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Steve Brown
Steve Brown is a project management consultant with over 28 years of technology product development
experience with roles in engineering management, business development and product management, and in
project management. Companies include Philips Consumer Electronics Corp., GEC-Marconi Avionics,
Avionic Displays Corp., Universal Avionics, EG Technology and InterContinental Hotels Group, plc. |
Steve has BA and MS degrees from DePauw University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and is a
certified project management professional by the Project Management Institute. His non-industrial interests
include aviation and music. He is a commercial pilot with instrument and glider ratings and is active with
Southern Eagles Soaring, Inc. as club president and towpilot, and with the Yellow Jacket Flying Club. Steve
first joined the American Federation of Musicians as a bassist while in high school and has appeared with
Mary Lou and the MGs, Nick Craig and the Sentimental Journey, the John Sox Jazz Quartet, Bill and Susan Hayes
from Days of our Lives and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra during the World’s Fair season. He is active as
a volunteer church musician participating in choral music, piano accompaniment, and the Parson’s Pickers
bluegrass ministry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Peachtree Street.
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Tom Gibson
Dr. Tom Gibson has earned a reputation internationally as a performer, conductor, teacher,
and clinician. Formerly a trombone soloist with The United States Navy Band in Washington, DC,
he moved to Atlanta in 2000 to be the Brass Department Coordinator at Georgia State University.
In 2007, he resigned that position to pursue other musical interests. In 2001, he helped co-found
The Piedmont Trombone Society, and in 2004 this group was awarded the "Kai Winding Jazz Album
of the Year" by the International Trombone Society. |
Tom can be heard on dozens of commercial recordings, including TV spots, movie soundtracks,
and albums. He has performed and/or recorded with The Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, The National
Symphony, The Boston Brass, Wayne Newton, Barry Manilow, Gladys Knight, Olivia Newton-John, The
Temptations, The Four Tops, James Taylor, Spoon, Zac Brown Band, Kingsized, and many others. He
has performed at The White House, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center,
Wolf Trap and most of this country's finest musical venues.
He has performed in the Broadway tours of: Wicked, The Producers, West Side Story,
Hairspray, White Christmas, Annie, Chicago, South Pacific, A Chorus Line, Mary Poppins,
and others. He performs as a regular member of: The Neons, The Joe Gransden Big Band,
The Atlanta Superband, Il Brasso Magnifico, Mercury Orkestar, The New Birth Posse, The
Atlanta Pops, and the Augusta Symphony.
Dr. Gibson is presently on faculty at Kennesaw State University and Mercer University,
and he recently completed a semester of teaching at The University of Michigan as Guest Artist.
Many of Dr. Gibson's students have gone on to professional careers as performers, professors,
public school teachers, conductors, and composers. He is very proud of the accomplishments of his
students and has seen them gain admission to the finest conservatories and Graduate schools in
the nation. These include: The Juilliard School, The Eastman School, Cleveland Conservatory of
Music, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Northwestern, and more.
Dr. Gibson is the host of www.trombonelessons.com,
one of the most popular trombone-related websites on the Internet with over 1 million visits
each year. Through the website and his Video Podcasts, he has become a well-recognized
voice in the brass world. He resides in Powder Springs, GA, with his wife Katlyn and
their 2 children, Bryce and Ella.
Dr. Gibson is a sponsored Performing Artist for Eastman Winds.
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Robbin Rahman
Robbin Rahman's practice focuses on corporate bankruptcy, financial restructuring, and other insolvency-related matters both in litigation and transactional contexts. He has played significant roles in representations of debtors, secured creditors, statutorily appointed creditor committees, recipients of avoidable transfers, debtor "insiders," nondebtor plan proponents, and potential purchasers of bankruptcy assets. |
He has been extensively involved in Jones Day's representation of the debtors in the chapter 11 proceedings of Black Diamond Mining Company, Borden Chemicals and Plastics, Burlington Industries, Chrysler, Dana, FLYi, and World Kitchen as debtors' counsel. In addition, he has been extensively involved in the Firm's representation of Qimonda North America as counsel to the creditors' committee.
Robbin was named a "Rising Star" for 2005 by Atlanta magazine. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association.
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Jerry McEver
Jerry McEver is an instrumental recruiting specialist in the Metro Atlanta Public
and Private schools. In the last twenty years Mr. McEver has introduced more than
20,000 young people to the instruments of the Band and Orchestra throughout the
Southeast. With his expertise in this area Mr. McEver has assisted music educators
in the recruiting and instrument selection process for their students as well as
providing instruments and supplies as an Educational Representative for Draisen
Edwards Music. |
Jerry McEver received his BA in Tuba performance from Jacksonville State University
studying with Joel Zimmerman, Bayne Dobbins and Dr. Dave Walters. After earning his
degree at Jacksonville State he continued his studies, serving as Graduate Teaching
Assistant to the esteemed Dr. Randal Faust at Auburn University, performing in the
Faculty Brass Quintet, teaching Applied Music and Music Appreciation. As a performer
Jerry started his professional career at age 16 as an extra with the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra under the baton of the legendary Robert Shaw and touring with the ASO to
Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Since that time he has performed with many of the
finest ensembles in the southeast, backing up the likes of Joni Mitchell, Moody Blues,
Brian Wilson and Joe Gransden. He recently participated in a CD recording with
Il Brasso Magnifico at Spivey Hall. Currently Mr. McEver is active as
a freelance musician and as a member of the national champion Georgia Brass Band.
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J. Robert Holmes
Rob Holmes has a wide range of interests and experiences, which have focused primarily in the fields of Human Services, Education and Research while always seeking ways to integrate the Visual and The Performing Arts into his work as a professional. |
His early childhood while living in Buffalo, New York allowed him to see and hear great musicians who significantly influenced his affinity for jazz music. From the age of 10 years, he began to listen to Big Bands like Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie with Joe Williams, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich and many others who impacted his life and shaped his interest and appreciation for the music. Smaller groups which featured soloist like Oscar Pettiford, Don Byas, Charles Mingus, Dizzy, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Haden and vocalist like Eddie Jefferson, Mark Murphy, Sarah Vaughn and Jamila Ajibade have influenced his desire to play the upright bass.
While serving in Europe, in the U.S Army, he learned to appreciate photography as well, which also provided an excellent opportunity to continue his interest in Art History.
He went on to earn a Ph.D. at the State University of New York with a focus in interdisciplinary research in the field of Linguistics and Counseling Psychology. As an undergraduate, he worked as a videographer collecting and editing videotape research data for the Developmental Psychology Department, which also included documentaries illustrating intercultural communication, assessment and training.
Rob has served on several Boards throughout his career which include Hospice, St Mary School for the Death, Niagara Frontier Association for Sickle Cell Diseases and the Legal Coalition for the Disabled.
Living here in Atlanta has provided access to the abundance of jazz clubs and concerts, which further allows him be a participate within the culture.
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Brent Runnels
Executive and Artistic Director
Brent Runnels directs the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta big band. He has
fashioned a broad and diverse musical career as
a performer, arts administrator, educator and
musical entrepreneur. |
As a pianist Brent Runnels has won critical acclaim for his performances
in the US, Europe, Australia and Russia as an orchestral and recital soloist,
chamber musician, and jazz pianist. He is the top-award winner of the New
Orleans International Piano Competition and the Jacksonville Classical
Piano Competition. Mr. Runnels has appeared as a soloist with such
orchestras as the Atlanta Symphony, Prague Radio Symphony, Milwaukee
Symphony, Kosice State Philharmonic, Ural Academic Philharmonic,
Slovak Sinfonietta of Zilina, Florida Orchestra, Florida Symphony,
Dubuque Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Mansfield Symphony, Brevard
Symphony and the Gwinnett Philharmonic. He has given recitals in London,
Prague, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sydney and Atlanta.
Chamber music and jazz performance are a significant part of his
performance career. He performed for 13 years with The Inman Piano
Trio, an ensemble with the late violinist Beth Newdome and cellist
David Bjella. The Inman Piano Trio was known for performances of the
masterpieces of the trio repertoire as well as unusual and rarely heard
chamber works. Brent Runnels has performed extensively as a jazz pianist
and has appeared with such jazz artists as Jon Faddis, Clark Terry, Gene
Bertoncini, Lou Soloff, Laurie Holloway and Warren Covington. In 1993 and
1994 he toured central Europe with John Whitney as the Runnels/Whitney Jazz
Piano Duo. He is currently director of music at Temple Sinai in Atlanta,
where he directs the High Holy Day choir and performs services and concerts.
He is also a member of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus.
Brent Runnels maintains a strong commitment to arts education and
support for the performing arts. From 1993-1999 he was founder and
Artistic Director of the Orlando Jazz Festival. He has been a frequent
guest at the South Bohemia Music Festival in the Czech Republic and has
given masterclasses for the European Piano Teacher's Association in
Prague, Brno and as guest artist at the Urals Summer International
Academy of Arts in Novouralsk, Russia. Mr. Runnels has taught on the
music faculties of Rollins College, Concordia College, the Manhattan
School of Music and Georgia State University. Brent Runnels is currently
on the music faculty of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.
Brent Runnels trained with Constance Keene and John Browning as a
scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. There
he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree as well as the school's highest
graduate honor, the Harold Bauer Award. A native of Rockville, Maryland,
he is a member of the international roster of Steinway Artists.
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