New York Pops Announces Board Expansion & Contract Extensions

The New York Pops is pleased to announce the appointment of Erin S. Gore, John M. Littzi, and Karen Van Bergen to the Board of Directors. In addition, the Board of The New York Pops is proud to announce the extension of Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke's contract through 2022.

"The Directors of The New York Pops unanimously voted this summer to appoint Erin S. Gore, John M. Littzi, and Karen Van Bergen to new positions on the orchestra's Board," said James A. Read, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "These three successful professionals are strongly committed to the success of The New York Pops, and I am certain that together, we will continue to achieve the highest artistic and educational missions in the coming years. We are all thrilled that Steven Reineke has signed on to continue as our Music Director and Conductor through 2022. His visionary leadership has ensured that The New York Pops is one of the finest pops orchestras in the United States, and we know that he will take the orchestra to even greater heights in the coming years."

"I am beyond thrilled that the Board asked me to stay on as Music Director and Conductor of The New York Pops," said Steven Reineke. "Conducting this great orchestra at none other than Carnegie Hall has been a dream come true over the past eight years, and I am truly honored to be at the helm each and every time this orchestra takes the stage. I'm really proud of all that we have accomplished since I arrived in 2008. We have so much more to look forward to as we move ahead together."

EXPANSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Erin S. Gore, Executive Vice President at Wells Fargo, is head of its Education and Nonprofit Banking group, helping U.S. colleges, universities, and private schools with financial strategies for managing future growth and making enhancements to existing infrastructure and facilities. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Erin served as associate vice chancellor and chief financial officer at University of California, Berkeley. She began her career with The New York City Council Finance Division in 1996 as a budget analyst and then spent four years with Moody's Investor Services as a public finance analyst. Gore joined the former Banc of America Securities in 2001, rising to co-head and managing director of its public finance education and nonprofit team. Gore holds a bachelor's degree from University of California, Los Angeles, and a master's degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Gore resides in San Francisco with her family.

John M. Littzi is a Vice President and Senior Counsel at W. R. Berkley Corporation, a Fortune 500 insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States, where he is responsible for the legal aspects of business development transactions, alternative investments and general corporate matters. Littzi has 15 years of legal experience in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, investment management, and corporate law, and previously worked in the Mergers and Acquisitions group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LP, based in New York. Littzi holds a Juris Doctor from the Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Bucknell University and lives in lower Manhattan with his wife and daughter.

Karen Van Bergen brings more than 30 years of agency- and client-side experience to her role as CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group. She holds responsibility for all public relations and public affairs firms within Omnicom, encompassing more than 6,300 employees. Prior to Omnicom PR Group, Karen served as CEO of Porter Novelli. Before Porter Novelli, Karen spent four years at FleishmanHillard and served two stints with McDonald's totaling more than 13 years. She was chief of staff, vice president of corporate affairs for McDonald's Europe, joining as part of a new management team that introduced and executed a highly successful new European strategy. She also held the director of marketing, communications and government relations post for McDonald's Central Europe/Central Asia division. Karen has been recognized with awards including PRWeek PR Professional of the Year - Agency (2016), named an Ad Age "Woman to Watch" and New York Business Journal "Woman of Influence" and inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Femme, ICCO Hall of Fame and PR News Hall of Fame. In 2017, she was ranked #1 on PRWeek's "Power List," the first woman to achieve this rank. Karen is a truly international leader. She speaks and does business in four languages and is an outspoken advocate for diversity and women's rights-both within the PR industry and across the business landscape. She is a founding member of Omniwomen, a group of female Omnicom leaders that aims to increase the influence and number of women leaders throughout the Omnicom network. Karen is passionate about music, including opera and jazz; she plays the piano and regularly attends musical performances throughout the city.

ABOUT The New York POPS
The New York POPS is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Under the leadership of dynamic Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, The New York Pops continues to re-imagine orchestral pops music. The orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall and a summer series at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY. The New York Pops is dedicated to lifelong learning, and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, children's hospitals and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. PopsEd allows thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in fully customizable music programs that blend traditional education with pure fun. Follow The New York Pops on Facebook (facebook.com/newyorkpops), Instagram (@thenewyorkpops), and Twitter (@newyorkpops).

Steven Reineke is the Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Principal Pops Conductor of the Houston Symphony and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include Seattle, Edmonton and Pittsburgh. As the creator of more than one hundred orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the composer of symphonic and wind ensemble compositions, Mr. Reineke's work has been performed worldwide.

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