Arizona Musicfest Welcomes New Board Members

The Arizona Musicfest Board of Directors unanimously appointed Ken Olson, President of Northern Trust Bank, Scottsdale and Roger Brooks, former Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of AmerUs to serve on the Board of the organization, beginning with the 2015-16 Season.

"We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ken and Roger to the Arizona Musicfest Board, " said Chuck Goldthwaite, Arizona Musicfest Chairman. "The breadth of their leadership and expertise as well as their profound passion for music will be wonderful assets for our organization."

In 2016, Arizona Musicfest will celebrate its 25th anniversary. A winter music festival held in North Scottsdale, each season, Musicfest presents top artists of classical, chamber, jazz, Broadway, bluegrass and pop music. 2016 artists include Al Jarreau, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, Broadway star Faith Prince, and the Festival Orchestra, featuring musicians from the nation's finest orchestras. The Festival runs January 29 - March 11, 2016. Arizona Musicfest also provides music education programs, youth performance opportunities and scholarships to encourage emerging talent.

Ken OlsonKen Olson is the President of Northern Trust Bank of the Scottsdale, AZ region, which includes managing the investment, banking, and fiduciary businesses. With nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Olson joined Northern Trust in 2010. Prior to that, he managed JPMorgan's Private Wealth Management business in Chicago and led JPMorgan's Milwaukee franchise after a 22-year tenure at Smith Barney in St. Louis and Phoenix. Olson received his bachelor's degree and MBA from Brigham Young University. Mr. Olson and his wife live in Mesa.

Roger Brooks
Roger Brooks is the former chairman of the board and chief operating officer of AmerUs Group. Mr. Brooks' career with AmerUs Group began in 1959 when he joined Central Life Assurance Company as an actuarial assistant. Mr. Brooks became an officer of the company in 1962, and in 1972 was named president and chief operating officer. Throughout his professional career, Mr. Brooks has been an active member of the Des Moines community and the insurance profession. In addition to serving on the board of Drake University, he has served on numerous community boards, including: Belin-Blank Advisory Board, Des Moines Development, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines Symphony, and the Community Foundation of Des Moines, He also served as the chairman for the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and chair of the annual fundraising campaign for the United Way of Central Iowa. Mr. Brooks is an inductee in both the Iowa insurance Hall of Fame and the Iowa Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Brooks and his wife, Sunnie Richer live in Desert Mountain.

Board Officers for Arizona Musicfest's 2015-2016 Season: Charles Goldthwaite, Jr, Chair, Richard Gunderson, Vice Chair, Deborah Barnett, Treasurer, and Christine Warsaw, Secretary.

Visit www.azmusicfest.org for more information.

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