Meet The Board
Natalie Groom
Music Director
Dr. Natalie Groom is a clarinetist, educator, and arts manager in Maryland. This year she joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as Affiliate Artist of Clarinet; assumed a role as the newly appointed Music Director of the Davies Concert Series, ushering in their 50th anniversary season; and became a voting member of the GRAMMY Recording Academy.
A few of Natalie’s performance career highlights include being a featured soloist with the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra and performing at The Kennedy Center, New World Center, The Anthem, Phillips Collection, Austrian and Spanish Embassies, and Goethe-Institut. She has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet and collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Esperanza Spalding, the National Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony Youth Ensemble.
While COVID-19 has put live performance on pause for many, Natalie remains musically engaged working as the Manager of Advancement Operations and Analytics at Washington Performing Arts, a DC arts presenting nonprofit. Prior to this role, she was an audio engineer, producer, and manager for virtual and live programs at Arts Laureate, a Baltimore-based classical music recording company.
In 2018, Natalie and soprano Jennifer Piazza-Pick founded Whistling Hens, a chamber music ensemble that performs and commissions music by women composers. Their work invites listeners to reflect on the impact male privilege has had on traditional music programming and question the status quo of gender inequality in the classical music community. Learn more at www.nataliegroom.com
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Hiram Larew
Secretary
Dr. Hiram Larew founded Poetry X Hunger, an initiative that's bringing the power of poetry to the anti-hunger cause. His most recent collection of poetry, Mud Ajar, was released in 2021 from Atmosphere Press. He lives in Churchton, MD.
Ruth Phillips
Treasurer
Ruth Phillips is Treasurer of Davies Concert Series and has been for 7 1/2 years. She and her husband, David, have been members of Davies UU for 60 years and sang in Davies Choir for 40 years. Ruth retired from Naval Research Lab in 1996 after 30+ years as a physicist (worked on Timation, the forerunner of GPS, and 10 years with David in Precision Time and Frequency as a husband-wife team). She and David manage a square/round dance club, Swingin' Seniors, which dances at Camp Springs Senior Center. They had 3 sons, 4 grandsons, and just this year welcomed their first great-grandson. They have attended Davies Concert Series since its inception in 1971.
Terri Allen
Board Member
Terri Allen currently serves as the Executive Director of the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA), a 501c3 non-profit arts organization helping to promote Black Classical musicians, youth, and others in the performing arts. The New York native had a successful career with Times Mirror Newsday /Tribune Corporation, one of the largest Fortune 500 media and publishing companies in the world. As an educator, inspirational speaker, and columnist she hosted a TV talk show, "The Terri Allen Show"; founded and serves as Dean Emerita for the Long Island Christian Bible Institute; and is the author several publications. Educated at S.U.N.Y. @ Stony Brook, Bethel Bible College, and Pace School of Law, Terri is the recipient of numerous awards including; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; National Coalition of 100 Black Women; Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; NAACP, National Association of Negro Musicians; International Price Fest Award for Leadership 2021; and Lifetime Achievement Award for Power Up Women’s Organization. Terri also served on the Senior Advisory Committee and as an Adjudicator for the Congressional Arts Award for Congresswoman Donna Edwards and serves on the Board of Directors for Maryland Citizens for the Arts and Davies Concert Series. She is married and lives in Accokeek, Maryland with her husband Dr. Dale Allen, Ph.D. Terri has two grandchildren and her two children are the co-founders of CAAPA, opera singer and educator Pamela T. Simonson and music director, composer, and pianist Victor Simonson. terri@4caapa.org.
Jennifer Sullivan
Board Member
Jennifer Sullivan is a life-long music lover, with 4 talented kids, that all play 2 or more instruments. As a Navy wife for 20 years, she has moved around quite a bit, but has settled nicely with her wonderful husband, kids, and dogs in Southern Maryland. She is employed as a corporate accountant and is also an instructor at a local community college, teaching accounting. The Davies Concert Series is very dear to Jennifer as it has provided amazing opportunities for her family to see world-class performers, bringing inspiration and joy in a beautiful and intimate concert venue.