Dr. Natasha Moreland Spears, CFRE, Co-Chair
International Association of Blacks in Dance
Nashville, TN
Natasha R. Moreland Spears has vast experience in the for profit and nonprofit sectors working in print and radio media, public television, arts and culture, human services, and public health. She has advised organizations on resource development, operations, strategic planning, and marketing and communications. Natasha currently serves as the CoED of The International Association of Blacks in Dance and she is the Principal and Founder of The DreamChaser Group, a full-service consulting firm providing nonprofit strategy, development, and systems support, artist management and representation, production services, and project management. Natasha is also a partner in Metaphorically Speaking, a spoken word collaborative that has produced poetry slams and stage productions for more than a decade.
Most recently, Natasha served as the VP of Development, Nashville for the American Heart Association. Prior to joining the AHA team, Natasha served as the Development Director with the Dayton Art Institute, in Dayton, OH, where she successfully led the team to revenue growth during the pandemic and 18 months of lock down. Natasha also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton for more than 10 years and has worked in marketing and development for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and ThinkTV.
Natasha holds a master’s in management from Indiana Wesleyan University and received her Doctor of Education from Grand Canyon University in the fall of 2023. She has more than 30 years of nonprofit and fundraising experience and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive.
Omar Ingram, Co-Chair
International Association of Blacks in Dance
Washington, DC
For more than 10 years, Omar has worked in both the commercial and not-for-profit arts sectors work with leading global influencers that include The Public Theater, STOMP/NYC, and Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, to support and unlock new opportunities to advance one of the world’s leading arts influences – diversity in the arts.
His focus and passion have led to work with living legends that include Debbie Allen, George Faison, and Phylicia Rashad; serving IABD in a number of capacities from volunteer to Programs Director; and serving nationally as a consultant, facilitator, and non-profit board member and advisor.
Today, Omar co-leads IABD’s growing team of changemakers in delivering vital arts programming and support that include the annual conference and festival, Comprehensive Organizational Health Initiative | Managing Organizational Vitality and Endurance (COHI | MOVE), FRWD, and The Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet. In addition, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for DC-based percussive dance organization SOLE Defined, and consultant to organizations that include Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
A former 2019 Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training (DILT) Fellow, Omar is a graduate of Howard University’s College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre Arts (now, the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts), and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and minor in Arts Administration.
Jennifer Roe, Treasurer
Folk Alliance International
Kansas City, MO
Jennifer Roe stepped into the Executive Director role of Folk Alliance International (FAI) in early 2024. She joined the team in 2013 assuming a pivotal role in leading FAI’s staff and contractors and overseeing the day-to-day operations.
Jennifer’s dedication to the organization reflects her commitment to fostering the rich tapestry of folk music and sustaining a vibrant, interconnected community. With a political background prior to FAI, she is a strong advocate for arts and culture at both federal and state levels.
Under Jennifer’s guidance, FAI’s global network has expanded to include more than 3,000 members—a diverse community of cultural sector entrepreneurs and leaders encompassing artists, record companies, publishers, presenters, agents, managers, arts administrators, diplomats, and more. The organization will continue to grow in diversity and service of the membership including scholarships, enhancing FAI’s regional chapters, and advocating strongly for the rights and interests of the independent music sector.
Simon Woods, Secretary
League of American Orchestras
New York, NY
Simon Woods joined the League of American Orchestras as President and CEO in September 2020. Woods brings more than 30 years of experience working with orchestras. He is deeply committed to equity, to the role of arts organizations in community, and to nurturing the next generation of arts leaders. From the late 1980s to the late 1990s, he worked as a record producer at EMI Classics in London, where he initiated and produced recordings at Abbey Road Studios and on location with many of the world’s foremost classical artists and ensembles. He has held leadership roles with The Philadelphia Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Grand Teton Music Festival. In March 2020 he joined the Board of Directors of National Arts Strategies. Woods earned a degree in music from Cambridge University and a diploma in conducting from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Simon Woods was honored to become an American citizen in 2018.
