Don Gilman Named Vice President of Santa Barbara Symphony Board of Directors

Don Gilman, an internationally recognized author, speaker, trainer, and executive coach, has been elected vice president of the Santa Barbara Symphony Board of Directors. His appointment was effective January 1.

Dr. Gilman, who was named to a three-year term on the Symphony Board last spring, currently serves as executive director of the Institute for the Advancement of Critical Thinking and as a senior faculty member at the American Management Association. He also heads Gilman Consulting Group, which specializes in executive coaching for leaders of high-tech companies. Previously, he served as director of strategic marketing at a division of Bosch, including more than two years at the firm's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and held various management positions at Vetronix, Litton Guidance and Control Systems, and Delco Systems Operations. A Santa Barbara native and an alumnus of the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, Dr. Gilman holds a bachelor's degree in engineering physics from Westmont College, a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from UC Santa Barbara, a master's degree in engineering management from West Coast University in Los Angeles, and a doctorate in organization change from Pepperdine University. His most recent book, Outsmarting V.U.C.A., will be published next month. He is currently a board member for the Foundation for Girsh Park, the Coastal Housing Coalition, and the Institute of Management Consultants. Dr. Gilman chairs the Governance Committee for the Santa Barbara Symphony Board of Directors.

"We are very excited and fortunate to welcome Don as our Board vice president. His leadership experience and deep ties to our community have led to him playing a key role on the Board, and will help propel the organization forward in the years ahead," said Symphony Board President Arthur Swalley.

The Santa Barbara Symphony's 64th season is underway. Complete program information is available online at www.thesymphony.org.

The Santa Barbara Symphony was founded in 1953 on the belief that a special city deserves a special orchestra. Consistently lauded for its unique ability to present brilliant concerts, engage the community, and deliver dynamic music education programs, the organization prizes both innovation and artistic excellence, and is widely recognized as one of the region's premier cultural institutions. Its award-winning Music Education Center serves more than 8,000 students throughout Santa Barbara County each year. Charismatic Israeli conductor Nir Kabaretti was appointed music director of the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2006. For additional information, visit www.thesymphony.org.