The promotions include a vice president and senior staff advancements. Ben Hall has been promoted to vice president, development. Joining the museum’s senior staff team are Paul Kingsbury as senior director of editorial and interpretation, Luke Wiget as senior director of creative, and Leigh Anne Wise as senior director of facilities, operations and sustainability.Details on these promotions and director or associate director advancements are below.
CreativeSam Farahmand has been promoted to associate director of creative content. In this role, he oversees a team that is responsible for producing photography, video and copy for the museum and its initiatives. Since joining the museum in 2018, he has contributed to projects that have been recognized with Telly Awards, American Advertising Awards and an American Alliance of Museums MUSE Award. Prior to his promotion, Farahmand held the position of creative content manager. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from The New School and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sydney Gilbert has been named director of creative project management. In this role, Gilbert directs the strategy, workload and timelines for the museum’s creative and content initiatives. In addition, she is responsible for streamlining communication and resources between internal and external collaborators. Prior to her promotion, Gilbert held the position of associate director of creative project management at the museum. She holds a Master of Arts from Hunter College and a bachelor’s degree in art history from University of Tennessee.
Luke Wiget will be the museum’s senior director of creative. In this role, Wiget guides the museum’s creative and project management teams responsible for producing the museum’s exhibitions, books, videos, education materials, marketing collateral and social media content in collaboration with diverse stakeholders. Wiget joined the museum in 2016 and, prior to his promotion, he served as director of creative content. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from San Jose State University and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from The New School.
DevelopmentBen Hall, who most recently served as senior director of development, has been promoted to vice president, development. A 14-year museum veteran, Hall oversees diverse fundraising initiatives consisting of the museum’s annual fund, major gifts program, planned giving, corporate philanthropy and sponsorships, government contributions, membership and special campaigns. He also manages Country Music Hall of Fame member relations on behalf of the museum. He received a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Nashville School of Law.
EducationAaron Helvig has been named associate director of music programs. He leads a team who guide the museum’s flagship education program, Words & Music®, which serves thousands of students and audiences each year through school programs, public and family programing, community outreach and partnerships, as well as the museum’s summer songwriting camp. Prior to his promotion, Helvig held the position of senior words and music program manager at the museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music from Northern Arizona University.
Museum ServicesPaul Kingsbury will be the museum’s senior director of editorial and interpretation. In this role he manages editorial staff and the development of written content for the museum’s website, exhibitions, public programs, publications, educational materials and online offerings. Kingsbury has written extensively about country music and its history. Books he has either written or co-authored include: “Woodstock: Three Days That Rocked the World,” “The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music” and “Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop.” In addition, he served as the editor-in-chief for the museum’s “Encyclopedia of Country Music,” first published in 1998, and co-editor for the museum’s pictorial history “Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music in America,” published in 2006. Before his promotion, Kingsbury served as managing editor for the museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Vanderbilt University.
Facilities, Operations and SustainabilityLeigh Anne Wise has been promoted to the role of senior director of facilities, operations and sustainability. In this role, she oversees facilities maintenance, building projects, building operations including security, housekeeping and event set up, as well as sustainability initiatives. A 38-year museum veteran, Wise first joined the museum as a tour guide, moving to accounting and then operations. Her most recent position was executive director of operations and sustainability. A native of Middle Tennessee, Wise attended Middle Tennessee State University and Aquinas College.
