About SWFL Music Education Center

Our Board, Advisory Committee and Staff

Our team consists of dedicated, passionate individuals working together to fulfill the mission of the Southwest Florida Music Education Center.

Our Board

Advisory Committee

Staff

Interested in joining our team? Visit our Careers page to view current job opportunities.

Because everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue their passion.

Bringing a world-class arts education partner to Southwest Florida

The Southwest Florida Music Education Center brings community access to cutting edge music education programs developed in partnership with the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN), including continuing education opportunities for music teachers with a focus on teaching students with disabilities. To learn more about BIAESN, visit college.berklee.edu/biaesn.

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Kathleen van Bergen

CEO and President, Artis-Naples
John and Joanne Fisher Chair

Now in her tenth season at the helm of Artis—Naples, CEO and President Kathleen van
Bergen continues to chart an assured and ambitious course for the organization. Her
dedicated oversight is recognized throughout Southwest Florida and in the greater arts
community as an example of leadership geared toward prudent growth and relationship
building. Gulfshore Life magazine named her one of its 2012 Men & Women of the Year,
suggesting that her title be expanded to include “collaborator-in-chief.” And in 2016, Naples
Illustrated named her one of its Leading Ladies, saying, “In less than five years, van Bergen
has led Naples’ premier cultural center to a new level.” Named one of Musical America’s Top
30 Professionals of the Year in 2019, Kathleen is described as “a woman with a mission, a
vision, and a board to support both.”

Since 2011, Kathleen has put her focus squarely on fulfilling the Artis—Naples mission of
inspiring, educating and entertaining to enrich our diverse community. In 2016, the
organization announced the Future—Forward Campaign for Cultural Excellence, a Master
Plan to reimagine the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus, embrace
artistic and community initiatives, substantially increase the endowment and grow the
permanent collection for The Baker Museum. To date, the campaign has surpassed $70
million, and the Artis—Naples endowment has achieved $100 million, doubling in size under
Kathleen’s leadership. Kathleen has overseen the initial project of the Master Plan – the
repair and expansion of The Baker Museum – with the museum reopening to the public in
December 2019 following post-Hurricane Irma repairs, and the expansion opening in fall
2020. Designed by renowned architecture/landscape/urbanism firm Weiss/Manfredi, the
expansion of The Baker Museum offers new spaces for exhibitions, performances,
educational activities and social interaction.

Kathleen has built a dynamic team at the organization, including the refined leadership of
Sharon and Timothy Ubben Music Director Andrey Boreyko, now in his seventh season. She
has also overseen the expansion of Artis—Naples offerings and multidisciplinary focus,
including the acquisition of the Naples International Film Festival in 2017, named to
MovieMaker Magazine’s 2019 list of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. The
organization’s diversity of world-class programming is one reason The Wall Street Journal
said Kathleen and Andrey have ushered in “an impressive new phase” for classical music in
Southwest Florida.

Under Kathleen’s leadership the organization continues to weather the challenges associated
with the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the health and safety of patrons,
musicians, team members, visiting artists, students and the wider community as the main
priority. Working with the Artis—Naples board and senior leadership team, Kathleen has
also prioritized measures to protect the long-term financial stability of the organization,
along with implementing new technologies and expanded safety policies as Artis—Naples
reopens in phases to team members and the public.

A violinist by training, Kathleen has made music a central part of her life. Prior to joining
Artis—Naples, Kathleen held several key positions, including artistic and executive director
at the acclaimed Schubert Club in Saint Paul, Minnesota; vice president of artistic planning
for The Philadelphia Orchestra; and vice president and director of artistic administration
for the St. Louis Symphony. Kathleen has served on the boards of the American Composers
Forum, the Rose Ensemble, Exhibits Development Group and the Greater Naples Chamber
of Commerce. She holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Eastman School
of Music, and she completed the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of
Business and the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program at Harvard
Business School.

Rhoda Bernard, Ed.D.

Advisory Committee Member

As Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs, Rhoda’s work at the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs has been honored with the Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has also received the Berklee Urban Service Award, the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award, the Outstanding Dissertation Award, and an Honorable Mention from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. In addition to giving regular keynote presentations throughout the world, she serves as the immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts.

Rhoda Bernard holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Music with academic honors in jazz voice from New England Conservatory. She earned both her Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Bernard regularly presents keynote presentations and research at conferences throughout the United States and abroad, and she provides professional development workshops and courses for educators in local, national, and international forums, both in person and online. Her work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous journals. Bernard’s work at the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs has been honored with the Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has also received the Berklee Urban Service Award, the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award, the Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Spirit Award, and the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention (Second Place) from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. An active arts education advocate, she is the immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts, and she serves on their speakers’ bureau. A vocalist and pianist who specializes in jazz music and Jewish music in Yiddish and Hebrew, she performs regularly with a number of klezmer bands and has recorded two CDs with the band Klezamir.

Our Board, Advisory Committee and Staff

Our Board

Advisory Committee

Staff

Bringing a world-class arts education partner to Southwest Florida

Rob Moher

Founder & Board Chair

Sandra Severino

Vice Chair of the Board

Libby Anderson, M.S., SPHR

Board Member

Fred Kotynski

Board Member

Kathleen van Bergen

CEO and President, Artis-NaplesJohn and Joanne Fisher Chair

Sharon Weston Patel

Board Member

Jeanie Bachrach, BCBA, SLP

Advisory Committee Member

Rhoda Bernard, Ed.D.

Advisory Committee Member

Richard Grant

Advisory Committee Member

Adam Kerlek

Advisory Committee Member

James Levine, Ph.D., LICSW

Advisory Committee Member

Jeff Mudgett, AIA

Advisory Committee Member

Skip Pardee

Advisory Committee Member

Michelle Theroux

Advisory Committee Member

Jen Clark

Vice President

Dr. Jeff Leigh

Musical Program Director for The Creative Group

CEO and President, Artis-Naples
John and Joanne Fisher Chair