Jazz & Heritage foundation TEAM

Our small yet dedicated staff members are the movers and shakers who work tirelessly to carry out the Foundation’s mission. We come from various disciplines – the arts, fundraising, business and marketing development, theatre, production, finance, audio/visual engineering, and public advocacy. We are passionate about maintaining and creating new initiatives to support Louisiana’s music community, emerging artists, and creatives. Meet our team!

Chief Executive Officer: Blake-Anthony Johnson

Blake-Anthony Johnson has served as the CEO of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation since January 2025. His accolades include the Titan Awards 2025, recognition on the New Orleans CityBusiness 2025 New Executives Power List, and a feature in The New Orleans 500, an annual publication from Biz New Orleans highlighting the business leaders shaping the region’s economy. Previous honors include the 2023 Harvard Business School Club Chicago Fellowship, the 2023 Black Men in Excellence Award, MusicalAmerica.com’s 2022 Top 30 Professionals, Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 (2022), Chicago Tribune’s 2022 Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music, the 2022 Brevard Music Center Distinguished Alumni Award, the Chicago Urban League 2022 Impact Fellowship (awarded by The University of Chicago Booth School of Business), and the 2022 Chicago Community Trust Daniel Burnham Fellowship (awarded by Leadership Greater Chicago). He has also received multiple proclamations from the City of Chicago for his civic and cultural service. Continue Reading..

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Meet The Team

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