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As senior vice president of industry relations and philanthropy at the Country Music Association (CMA) and executive director of the CMA Foundation, Tiffany Kerns oversees the strategic direction and management of CMA’s membership events, initiatives, and programming. By developing and enhancing new, robust, and innovative membership strategies, Kerns ensures that professional development pathways exist that align with the needs of both the member base and the future of the industry. Offering world-class programming focused on mental health and wellness; diversity, equity, and inclusion; research; leadership; and financial security, Kerns amplifies the voices of each facet of the music business and equips all members to operate confidently and successfully within the industry. She is also responsible for the growth, development, and execution of the nonprofit’s charitable investments by creating intentional partnerships and implementing an impact-driven grant process. With a steadfast focus on improving the philanthropic model of giving, Kerns has led the charge in enriching music education programs across the United States, working to ensure every child has access to a high-quality music education and every music educator is provided the resources they need to create a thriving program.
Prior to joining CMA in 2013, Kerns worked for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She was named a Billboard Country Power Player in 2021 and 2022 and received the CMA Chairman’s Award in 2021. She was a 2018 Women in Music City Award recipient and led the CMA Foundation to receiving the 2017 Stand for Music Award supporting music education advocacy. She continues to use her voice to place emphasis on growing and fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout the music industry. Originally from Bradenton, Florida, Kerns graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in political science and a minor in business administration.
The CMA Foundation (CMAF) began investing in music education in 2006 and was birthed from the passion of its artists and industry professionals who first fell in love with music within the four walls of a classroom. Thanks to the teachers who believed in them, these extraordinary artists and professionals were able to go after their dreams. For CMAF, it’s not just about raising up the next generation of musicians but about leveraging the impact that music has on students. The CMA Foundation partners with the country music community to provide more students with the opportunity to participate in music education programs.
Melody Weintraub is the past president of the Tennessee Art Education Association (TAEA). While serving as president, she helped to usher in several new programs, including STARS (State of Tennessee Art Review and Showcase), and established an outreach for Middle Tennessee art teachers most affected by the devastating tornado in 2020. In 2014, she was selected as TAEA’s Middle Level Art Educator of the Year. Weintraub has presented numerous professional development workshops for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) as well as workshops and teacher training in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Virginia. She has also presented workshops for and has designed several guitars for the Tennessee Arts Academy. Weintraub is an accomplished artist, participating in several group and solo exhibitions as well as writing and illustrating a children’s book, The Little Bluebird. She has written more than thirty articles for SchoolArts, a national magazine with an international reach. Two of her articles were featured on the cover. She was also featured in the SchoolArts compilation published by Davis Publications titled STEAM. Weintraub collaborated with educator Debi West to produce Teacher Encourage-Mints, a set of sixty motivational cards for teachers. She taught middle school art at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee, for sixteen years. While at Briarcrest, Weintraub also established a middle school drama program and directed eight musicals. In 2007, Briarcrest created a student scholarship award named in her honor, and most recently, Weintraub was inducted into the Briarcrest Fine Arts Hall of Fame. She retired in 2020 after thirty years of teaching in community classes and in public, private, and higher educational settings. She currently supervises art education candidates for the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She also has a YouTube channel, Melody Weintraub’s Online Art Class. Besides teaching, making art, and writing, Weintraub also enjoys acting. She can be seen in several television commercials and appeared as the history teacher in the Academy Award–winning film The Blind Side.
