Leadership
Team
Michael
Sticka
President / CEO
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Michael Sticka has led the GRAMMY Museum® since June 2018. He oversees the strategic direction of the Museum, including all financial and programmatic aspects, and its internationally known brand. Annually, the GRAMMY Museum produces more than 100 public programs & concerts, impacts over 31,000 students through its education programs, and curates 20 exhibitions.
Sticka led the merger of the GRAMMY Foundation and GRAMMY Museum to create the GRAMMY Museum Foundation™, successfully blending the programs and cultures of both organizations. After his first year leading the Museum, he accomplished double-digit year-over-year growth in earned revenue and established its first Development department to diversify contributed revenue. In 2019, he raised funding for, and oversaw, a multi-million-dollar renovation of the Museum and built the only gallery in California dedicated to Latin music. An advocate for inclusion, under his leadership the Museum became the first in the state of California to be named a Certified Autism Center® and adopted its first DEIA policy.
Once COVID-19 hit, he led the Museum’s team to launch COLLECTION:live™, the official streaming service of the GRAMMY Museum, featuring more than 1,000 hours of artist programs and educational content, significantly scaling its brand and reach to music lovers worldwide.
He led community and industry stakeholders to collaboratively develop both of the Museum’s strategic plans, guiding attainable financial sustainability and the growth of its mission. With a focus on successful programmatic expansion, he formed a partnership with the City of New York to launch the East Coast presence of the Museum’s acclaimed Public Programs; and led the collaborative effort with the Recording Academy® to revamp the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame®, among other key initiatives. In 2022, he recruited some of music’s biggest stars (Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Rosalía, and Shawn Mendes) to co-chair the Museum’s Campaign for Music Education, which surpassed its initial $5 million goal in less than 12 months.
Sticka's career in the arts began in Dayton, Ohio, as a theater box office associate and now spans more than 20 years. His artistic passion led him to co-found a regional theater company in Dayton that produced innovative plays and musicals using puppetry.
In 2021, he was inducted in his high school Hall of Fame; and in 2023, he received Variety Magazine Hitmaker's first “Music Education & Advocacy Leadership Award.”
A true lover of the arts, music, theater, food, and golf, Sticka lives in L.A. with his husband, Brian, and their two dogs.
Arin
Canbolat
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION
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Arin Canbolat serves as the Vice President of Education for the GRAMMY Museum®, serving as a key member of the Museum’s senior leadership team. In his role, he leads evaluating, improving and expanding existing programs, as well as designing curricula for new, scalable programming with a focus on music and music industry education for K-12 students to grow the Museum's educational impact across the United States. He oversees the following existing programs: GRAMMY Camp®, Music Educator Award™, mentorship programs, GRAMMY in the Schools® and the Museum’s online platform Learning Hub.
Canbolat was formerly Associate Dean for Education Outreach at Berklee College of Music. In that role, he developed and oversaw teacher training and course facilitation, facilitated broad assessment studies, administered educational planning for college students, implemented strategies for cross-departmental work for college student success, stewarded major gifts for pre-college students entering college, led the City Music College Scholarship awarding committee, maintained data tracking and analyzation systems and cultivated education and corporate partnerships.
In his role, he also oversaw the Berklee City Music Network, a global consortium of over 40 partner organizations reaching more than 65,000 students annually; evaluating and recruiting new members, providing them with resources and guidance in building capacity for fundraising, organizational structure, curriculum, professional development, and scholarship opportunities.
Previously, he was general manager at The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School, responsible for business operations including partnerships, strategic planning, fundraising, budget management, and union faculty management. He co-designed the Take Me To The River music history course with the film’s director, and GRAMMY® Award-Winner, Martin Shore. Before this, Canbolat worked at Concord Music Group in International Sales and Marketing.
Canbolat is a Professional Member of the Recording Academy® and board member of the Take Me To The River Education Initiative, a non-profit organization focused on sharing and teaching the origins of American music. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz and Contemporary Music from The New School and Master of Music in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from the University of Miami. He is a saxophonist.
Jasen
Emmons
CHIEF CURATOR & VICE PRESIDENT OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS
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Jasen Emmons serves as Chief Curator and Vice President of Curatorial Affairs of the GRAMMY Museum®. In his role, Emmons is the Museum’s creative leader who provides an overarching vision for exhibitions that speak to music’s rich history as a cultural, social and economic change agent. He also serves as the primary host of its storied public programs, working to bring both an historic and contemporary perspective that connects artists across genres and generations to a diverse and engaged constituency.
Prior to joining the GRAMMY Museum, Emmons spent two decades in Seattle at Experience Music Project, which is now the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). As the museum’s director of curatorial affairs, Emmons played a critical role in helping the institution evolve from its original focus on popular music to a broader lens of pop culture, which significantly expanded its audience and bolstered its sustainability. During his tenure, Emmons oversaw more than 45 exhibits, including 11 traveling exhibits, and curated or co-curated nine exhibits, including Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956-1966 and American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music.
Emmons holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oregon and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington.
Hilary
Fahlsing
CHIEF FINANCIAL & OPERATING OFFICER
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Hilary Fahlsing serves as the Chief Financial & Operating Officer for the GRAMMY Museum. She oversees the fiscal management of the Museum, including finance and accounting, legal, human resources, and insurance/risk management, as well as the day-to-day business and operations for the Museum and its 50+ staff members in Los Angeles. In her role, she is responsible for ensuring the long-term fiscal health, sustainability and operational excellence of the organization. She also oversees the marketing department, driving strategic initiatives to enhance the Museum's visibility and public outreach. She serves as a staff liaison to the Finance and Audit Committees of the Board of Directors. Fahlsing joined the GRAMMY Museum in 2018 and has more than a decade of experience in nonprofit finance, administration and operations.
She began her career in advertising, where she held diverse roles from experiential marketing to financial analysis. Her transition into the nonprofit sector began when she started volunteering for Susan G. Komen for the Cure upon learning of her mother-in-law’s breast cancer diagnosis. Starting as an unpaid volunteer, Fahlsing rose to become the Director of Operations for the Los Angeles County affiliate. She furthered her nonprofit career as the Chief Financial Officer at Toberman Neighborhood Center, followed by a pivotal role as Director of Finance & Human Resources at the HAMMER Museum, where she served for nearly five years. Fahlsing's expertise extends to consulting for various nonprofits, guiding organizations through growth, acquisitions, and other transformative phases.
Fahlsing holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA and a MBA from Loyola Marymount University.
Rita
George
CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER
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Rita George is Chief Program Officer for the GRAMMY Museum. In her role, George will provide leadership, strategy and managerial oversight to the curatorial, community engagement, education, and digital media teams, connecting internal and external partners to create a more cohesive approach to scale the Museum’s diverse programming. George will continue to lead new business development efforts, expand DEIA initiatives, and help oversee the Museum’s offsite locations. As part of the leadership team, George provides support to the Museum’s President and Board of Directors, policy development and HR initiatives.
Previously as Chief Operating Officer, George oversaw day-to-day business and operations for the Museum, led new business development efforts and museum renovations, and managed the strategic planning and curatorial content development for more than 100 exhibits and off-site projects, including the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Okla.; the opening of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi in Cleveland, Miss.; the GRAMMY Museum Gallery at Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn.; the Ray Charles Memorial Library in Los Angeles, and the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in 2017.
Prior to joining the GRAMMY Museum, George served as director of visitor services, security and operations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
George graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Lynne
Sheridan
VICE PRESIDENT OF ARTIST RELATIONS, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING & CONTENT
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Lynne Sheridan serves as Vice President of Public Programming and Artist Relations for the GRAMMY Museum®. Sheridan is in charge of all public programming, including at the flagship in Los Angeles and for the recently launched series “A New York Evening With…” in New York City. She also spearheads the Museum’s artist relations efforts.
A 30+ year music industry veteran, she has been with the GRAMMY Museum since its inception in 2007. During her time at the Museum, Sheridan created the Public Programs series, booking and producing over 1,500 artist interviews, performances, film screenings, and panel discussions with artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Brandi Carlile, Common, Haim, Los Lobos, John Legend, Shawn Mendes, Stevie Nicks, Public Enemy, Mavis Staples, Ringo Starr, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Jack White, Brian Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Billie Eilish, and more.
Prior to joining the GRAMMY Museum, Sheridan worked in New York City at Columbia Records, Epic Records, Tommy Boy Music, and the Bob Dylan Music Company. She has booked and produced panels, programs, showcases, and concerts at SXSW in Austin, Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville, and various tribute shows at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Sheridan has also produced concerts such as “Like a Complete Unknown: A Concert Celebrating the Music of Bob Dylan” with the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, collaborated with the New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center on various programs, and co-produced all five Woody Guthrie Centennial Concert celebrations that took place nationwide in 2012.
Sheridan currently serves as an active board member for the Americana Music Association, as well as secretary on their Executive Board for the past eight years.
Board of
Directors
Tim Bucher
Chair of the Board
John Burk
Vice Chair of the Board
Michal Katz
Secretary / Treasurer
Pamela Alexander
Dan Beckerman
Brandon Chapman
Wellington Chen
Linda Duncombe
Ken Ehrlich
Todd Goldstein
Jon Harris
Brian Hoesterey
Tammy Hurt
Jimmy Jam
Harvey Mason Jr.
Mattie McFadden-Lawson
Brenda Robinson
David Wu
Director Emeriti
John Branca
Giselle Fernandez
Ted Fikre
Joel Katz
Terry Lickona
Andra Liemandt
Jay Marciano
Charles "Chuck" Ortner
Carolyn Powers
Ray Sliva
David Webster
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