FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Pearl, 1333 H St. NE, Washington D.C., 20002, 202-399-6764 x 162, www.joyofmotion.org
Joy of Motion Dance Center Announces New Executive Director
Washington, D.C.. January 27, 2015 – Joy of Motion Dance Center (“JOMDC”) today announced Laura Sawyer as its new Executive Director. The selection was made by the Board of Directors after a comprehensive search process undertaken following the departure of longtime JOMDC Executive Director Douglas Yeuell last summer. Sawyer will begin with JOMDC on February 2, 2015.
“We are delighted to welcome Laura as our new Executive Director,” said Stephanie A. Meyer, JOMDC board chair. “Laura brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management and the arts, plus a collaborative approach and a personal philosophy that aligns with our core value that Dance Is For Everyone. She will be a dynamic leader for our staff and faculty and will build upon our strengths as we look to the future.”
Sawyer joins JOMDC after 18 years with the North American Spine Society (NASS), where she most recently served as Associate Executive Director. During her time at NASS, Sawyer implemented policies and initiatives that put NASS on the map as the leader in ethics between physicians and industry, served as a consultant to other medical societies on the development of their programs, was widely published in the field of association management, and ran the division of Medical Professionalism & Innovation overseeing all of the above as well as NASS’ internal video production division. She also served as Managing Director of three affiliated subsidiaries, including a philanthropic initiative that brought pediatric surgical missions to Africa and the Dominican Republic.
In addition to her nonprofit experience, Sawyer has a deep background in the arts, winning accolades as an Equity actress/dancer/singer on the Chicago stage and appearing in numerous commercials, independent films, and television programs.
“I am honored to be chosen to lead Joy of Motion Dance Center into its next phase,” Sawyer said. “JOMDC is a vibrant organization filled with passion and talent, and is a home away from home for so many students, parents, faculty, and staff. It is my responsibility to make sure that home thrives, that programs flourish, that each member of the JOMDC family feels that there is joy in everything we do here, and that we do it well.”
JOMDC, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable arts organization, is committed to building communities that dance. Thousands of children and adults participate each year in dance classes, workshops, festivals, and performances at three studio locations in the District and Bethesda, Maryland. The broad spectrum of dance that JOMDC offers to all ages, abilities, and levels includes Adult Dance Education, Youth Dance Education, Resident Companies and Resident Arts Partners, Dance Production, and Project Motion Community Outreach. JOMDC also is home to the Jack Guidone Theater and the award-winning Youth Dance Ensemble Program. Every day, through its classes, companies, concerts, and outreach, JOMDC lives its motto: Dance is for Everyone!®
www.joyofmotion.org. 1333 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002. 202-399-6764
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