Alina Bloomgarden, was originating producer of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Lincoln Center Reel to Real series and Director of Visitors Services for 23 years, where she received the Directors Emeriti Award for outstanding achievement. Proposing that jazz had a rightful place at America’s preeminent performing arts center, she invited Wynton Marsalis to participate as Artistic Advisor, the same role he how has for MOTI. She produced the first critically- acclaimed seasons of Jazz at Lincoln Center, which led to the establishment of jazz as a separate and equal constituent. It has now become her life’s work to galvanize the community of musicians as a force for encouragement and hope in criminal justice.

Jonathan is an engineer specializing in the design of waterfronts around the world.  His projects in New York have included many of the piers in Hudson River Park and the reconstruction of the Rockaways Boardwalk after Superstorm Sandy.  He has played trumpet since the 4th grade, and continues to study classical and jazz, playing for his own enjoyment and the occasional entertainment of others. 

Ted Poretz is a partner in the law firm Zukerman Gore Brandeis & Crossman.  He has a broad range of experience in civil litigation, white collar defense and regulatory defense in the securities industry, and in internal investigations. He started as  an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan and  became Assistant Commissioner-Trials of the New York City Police Department where he presided over disciplinary trials of NYPD officers and other personnel and rendered decisions reviewed by the Police Commissioner and the courts. 

Travis Mock is Of Counsel to Pincus Law LLC, a litigation boutique specializing in business litigation, employment litigation, and employment negotiation.  He has served as pro bono outside general counsel to a large regional nonprofit and as a founding board member for a non-profit music startup.  For many years, Travis led the New York City Bar Association’s Chamber Music Committee, hosting an annual series of classical-music concerts for lawyers and other amateur musicians.

Judy Stewart is CEO of Creative Sense, Inc.; a management consulting company that has specialized in developing profit enhancing growth strategies for over 50 consumer brands. For the past several years, she has served as the Executive Business Consultant to Hanky Panky, Ltd; the International fashion lingerie brand. Previously, she was the Creator and CEO of Kids R Us/Babies R Us , which grew sales to close to $1 Billion and the President of August Max, a national women’s sportswear special store chain. 

Candace Leeds has had decades of experience working in leadership roles in both the corporate and nonprofit arenas, specializing in branding, marketing PR and philanthropy.  Most recently she has been consulting with the Ronald McDonald House of NY and the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.  She spent twenty years as VP of Public Affairs at Loews Corporation and over a decade as Executive VP at two major PR firms, the Rowland Company (absorbed by Saatchi and Saatchi) and the PR arm of Grey Advertising.