Detroit, (December 5, 2024) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected Faye Alexander Nelson as the new Chair at the organization’s Annual Meeting of Governing Members on December 5. She succeeds David T. Provost. Nelson previously served on the DSO Board of Directors from 2013–2023 and currently serves as the co-chair of the Detroit Strategy Taskforce.
“We are thrilled to welcome Faye as the new Chair of the DSO’s Board of Directors, and grateful to Dave for his service,” said DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark. “Faye is a deeply respected leader in our community and a wonderful champion of the DSO. I am truly excited to partner with her as we look to the future."
“I am honored to serve as the next Chair of the Board of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra,” said Nelson. “I have seen firsthand the DSO’s incredible progress over nearly two decades and I have immense pride in all we have accomplished together. I look forward to continued service to this organization as we pursue excellence and celebrate the talent, passion, and community that is the DSO.”
Nelson is the Former Michigan Director of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where she led the foundation’s statewide work in Michigan to improve the well-being of children through partnerships that address equity in employment, health equity, and equity in early childhood education and education systems. Nelson also previously served as the Sojourner Truth Fellow with the University of Michigan, Vice President of DTE Energy, Board Chair and President of the DTE Energy Foundation, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
In addition to her service with the DSO, Nelson is actively involved in her community and serves on the boards of organizations including Corewell Health, Michigan Women’s Commission, and the United Way of Southeastern Michigan.
Nelson’s many awards include The Detroit News’s 2022 Michiganian of the Year, Crain’s Detroit Business’s 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan (2016 and 2021), as well as the 2020 Michigan Business Hall of Fame.
Nelson earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Mercy College of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy) and a law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and a life member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference.
At the Annual Meeting, the DSO’s Board of Directors also elected a new slate of officers and Board and Trustee members:
- New Officers – Along with Faye Alexander Nelson (Chair), Renato Jamett (Secretary), Daniel J. Kaufman (Officer at Large), and David Nicholson (Officer at Large).
- New Board Members – The DSO Board of Directors elected five new Board members: Rodney Cole, Marcus Collins, Ralph Gerson, Laura Granneman, and Faye Alexander Nelson.
- Renewed Board Members – The DSO renewed six Board members: Aaron Frankel, Herman B. Gray, MD, Ric Huttenlocher, Daniel J. Kaufman, Shirley Stancato, and James G. Vella.
- New Trustees – The DSO Board of Directors elected six new Trustees: Emily Elmer, Darby Hadley, Geoffrey S. Nathan, Priscilla Perkins, Rochelle Riley, and Dhivya Srinivasan.
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About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.