UMS Board Elects New Members, New Officers at Annual Meeting

ANN ARBOR — As part of its annual meeting in June, the University Musical Society’s (UMS) Board of Directors elected its newest members. The new members whose four-year appointments officially began on July 1 include Susan E. Alcock, Kiana Barfield, Marco Bruzzano, Timothy R. Damschroder, and Peter Schweitzer. 

The Board also elected two new officers and re-elected three. Tim Petersen, managing director at Arboretum Ventures, will continue to serve as Chair. Lisa D. Cook, associate professor of International Relations and Economics at Michigan State University and former treasurer of the UMS Board of Directors, and Brian Willen, partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and adjunct professor at the University of Michigan Law School, will serve as Co-Vice Chairs. Rob VanRenterghem, partner at the software development and consulting services firm Incite Informatics, will serve as Treasurer. Chris Conlin, president and owner of Conlin Travel, was re-elected to serve as Secretary.

For a full roster of the UMS Board of Directors visit HERE

BIOGRAPHIES

Susan E. Alcock is the provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and previously served as interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Michigan-Flint. She holds a doctorate in classical archaeology and classics from the University of Cambridge, UK, and Bachelor’s degrees from Cambridge and Yale University. From 2006 to 2015, Dr. Alcock served at Brown University as the inaugural director of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World. Prior to her time at Brown she was a member of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where she was John H. D’Arms Collegiate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics. She returned to Michigan in 2015 as special counsel for Institutional Outreach and Engagement and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics. In her role as special counsel she worked in the Office of the President on a variety of academic initiatives and projects, including developing and leveraging faculty, research, and student connections between the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. Dr. Alcock’s research and teaching engages with themes of landscape, imperialism, and memory in the archaeologies of the ancient Mediterranean. She is a 2001 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.

A native of Ann Arbor, Kiana Barfield received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her JD from the University of Michigan Law School. Kiana worked as an attorney at Butzel Long in Detroit and as in-house counsel for Ford Motor Company during her 20-year legal career. She has served as a trustee for Greenhills School, for which she is also a proud alumna (1990) and the Huron Valley Girl Scout Council. Kiana is currently a trustee of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. Her commitment to and adoration of the arts began at a young age starting with ballet lessons at Ann Arbor’s Community School of Ballet. It was through ballet that she was first introduced to the UMS as she performed in several UMS productions of The Nutcracker with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater in the 1980s. Kiana has maintained her connection with the arts as a dancer, singer, choreographer, actress, “stage mom,” audience member, and supporter. She and her husband David live in Ann Arbor along with their two children, Kendyl and Kaelin.

Marco Bruzzano is the vice president of corporate strategy for DTE Energy. In his role, Marco is focused on evaluating growth opportunities for the company, along with working across DTE’s executive team to shape company strategy. Prior to his current role, he was vice president of distribution engineering and construction for DTE Energy, responsible for overseeing the company’s engineering, grid modernization, and construction activities. Prior to joining DTE in 2008, he worked globally in the energy industry for nearly 20 years, including as a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton and as an engagement manager with McKinsey & Co. He earned an MBA with distinction from Duke University and also holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Marco currently serves on the boards of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and NextEnergy. In 2018, he was nominated by Gov. Rick Snyder to serve a two-year term on the Michigan Infrastructure Council. He has been an active supporter of numerous local non-profits, including Ozone House, the Neutral Zone, and Growing Hope. After growing up in Rome, Italy, Marco moved to the United States to attend college at Georgia Tech, where he met his future wife, Melissa. They live in Ann Arbor, where their son Nicholas is a student at Pioneer High School.

Timothy R. Damschroder is the co-chairperson of the Business Practice Group at Bodman PLC. He specializes in middle market M&A transactions (typically ranging from $30 million to $1 billion) and corporate finance. He has substantial experience serving as outside general counsel to automotive, industrial, and technology companies. He manages many major client accounts with responsibility for quality control, staffing, workflow, and overall client satisfaction. Mr. Damschroder was the 2016 recipient of the State Bar of Michigan Business Law Section’s Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award, presented to one business lawyer in the State of Michigan each year in recognition of contributions to Michigan business law over the course of a career. In 2013, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Mr. Damschroder to the newly created Michigan Health Endowment Fund Board, where he now serves as chair. The Fund benefits the health and wellness of Michigan residents through programs focusing on children and seniors and is expected to receive up to $1.56 billion in contributions over 18 years. Mr. Damschroder has served in leadership roles for the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, the Board of Directors of Peace Neighborhood Center, the Board of Directors of Nonprofit Enterprise At Work (NEW Center), and is a past member of the St. Joseph Mercy Health System’s Development Council and the Board of Directors of the Washtenaw County United Way, as well as various committees of Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor. He has been a lifelong beneficiary of the joys of UMS, as his mother attended UMS events since the 1960s and took her young family to many of them.

Peter Schweitzer spent much of his career in advertising at J. Walter Thompson Company, moving in 1986 from New York City to Detroit to run the Ford Motor Company account and eventually serving as JWT’s President and CEO Worldwide. He retired in 2005 and remains an active supporter of many charitable organizations, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration Survivors Benefit Fund, International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, CATCH (supporting Detroit Children’s Hospital), and most recently as Chairman of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in his winter home in Arizona. His support of his alma mater, the University of Michigan, spans many decades and includes serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council of LS&A, the LS&A Honors Program Committee, and as Chair of the Alumni Association. He and his wife, Elaine, continue to support undergraduate scholarships in LS&A and Athletics, a graduate fellowship in Sociology, and medical and midwifery students through the University’s Michi-Ghana program. Schweitzer was born in Chicago and raised in Battle Creek.

ABOUT UMS

A recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts, UMS (also known as the University Musical Society) contributes to a vibrant cultural community by connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Michigan, presenting over 70 music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with over 100 free educational activities. UMS is committed to bold artistic leadership, engaged learning through the arts, and access and inclusiveness. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of nearly 80 new or reimagined works. Matthew VanBesien became the organization’s seventh president in July 2017.