LOS ANGELES (December 8, 2025) — The Board of Directors of The Music Center today announced the appointment of three distinguished leaders to The Music Center Board: former Broadway producer Terri Childs; financial services executive Bill Dolan; and former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., who returns to L.A.’s performing arts center as a board member for a second time. Their combined expertise in the arts, philanthropy, finance, community development and public service will help guide The Music Center’s continued evolution as one of the nation’s most prominent performing arts institutions. The Music Center presents world-class dance performances and dancing experiences, nationally recognized K–12 arts learning programs, digital arts experiences and free and low-cost public concerts and events. Additionally, The Music Center manages an expansive campus, including four theatres, Jerry Moss Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park on behalf of the County of Los Angeles.
“We are thrilled to welcome this outstanding group of new and returning board members whose passion for the arts and commitment to community will help propel The Music Center forward,” said Robert J. Abernethy, chair of The Music Center’s Board of Directors. “Each of them brings a remarkable blend of leadership, lived experiences and devotion for the performing arts. Their unique perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to expand access to the arts, strengthen our civic impact and envision what a 21st century performing arts center can and should be.”
A retired asset manager, Terri Childs’s relationship with The Music Center began when she was a junior in high school—she attended the openings of The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum. As an adult, she built an impressive career in finance as a managing director of Golden Seeds, an angel investing company supporting women-owned and women-led businesses, and previously as vice president at Trust Company of the West, where she specialized in not-for-profit clients. She decided to refocus her energy toward the performing arts after seeing her husband Timothy with the biggest smile on his face following a dance performance they attended. They moved from Los Angeles to New York to become Broadway producers, and one of the first shows they produced independently was A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart. The show’s success sparked a producing career spanning more than 30 years, and more than 15 shows, on Broadway and London’s West End, including Macbeth, Talk Radio, Broken Glass and the 1997 revival of Annie. Over the decades, Childs has been a dedicated supporter and leader within The Music Center. She has served on the boards of The Blue Ribbon and Center Dance Arts and was a board member of The Joffrey Ballet during its residency at The Music Center. She and Timothy are also members of The Music Center Founders and the Dorothy Chandler Society. Beyond L.A.’s performing arts center, Childs has served on the boards of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo, the University of Redlands, KCET public television, the American Council for the Arts and American Friends of the National Theater; she was also board chair of the Coro Foundation. Childs holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University. She and her husband live in L.A.’s Wilshire Corridor neighborhood.
Bill Dolan, senior vice president and regional investment director for U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, represents the financial institution’s longstanding support of The Music Center through its foundation and U.S. Bank’s core pillars of community engagement and cultural investment. Before entering finance, Dolan was a professional musician. Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, he credits early visits to The Music Center with his mother for shaping his appreciation for the performing arts. He learned classical piano, performed in the alternative rock scene and eventually earned a recording contract as a singer-songwriter. Today, Dolan is actively engaged in arts leadership, serving on the board of directors for Pacific Symphony, where he chairs its Investment Committee. He also serves on the board of OCMBA, an alliance of Orange County business alumni groups; he previously served on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach. Devoted to introducing the arts to young people, Dolan looks forward to supporting The Music Center’s artistic programming and bringing the arts into even more classrooms. He holds an MBA from the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University. He and his wife Tina enjoy spending time with their family and, in his free time, playing music.
The Music Center welcomes back Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, who brings 35 years of experience as an urban planner, policymaker, scholar and educator, to its Board of Directors. She is the former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), appointed by President Joseph R. Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, serving from 2022–2025. During her tenure, she advanced an ambitious arts integration agenda and launched innovative arts-based programs in health, education, environment and community development. Appointed by President Barack Obama, she previously served on the National Council on the Arts from 2012–2021. Dr. Jackson’s career also includes nearly two decades at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., as founding director of the Culture, Creativity and Communities Program, as well as senior advisory roles with national, regional and local philanthropies. A Los Angeles native, Dr. Jackson first came to The Music Center as a child during school field trips; her family believed in the transformative power of the arts and the importance of learning about people’s cultures and legacies. She first served on The Music Center’s board from 2016–2022 and also served as a co-chair for the County of Los Angeles Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative. Deeply committed to the role of arts in strengthening communities, Dr. Jackson looks forward to supporting The Music Center’s continued evolution as a vibrant 21st century performing arts center. She holds a doctorate in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles; an MPA and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Southern California; and four honorary doctorates. Dr. Jackson is currently University Professor of Creativity and Social Impact at Arizona State University and is based at ASU’s satellite campus in Downtown L.A. She and her husband David Riddick live in the View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood.
ABOUT THE MUSIC CENTER
As L.A.’s performing arts center, The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $80 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, participatory dancing experiences, free and low-cost public concerts and events, live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $3 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on social media @MusicCenterLA.
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