The IBMA Foundation is pleased to announce Cassie Wright, of Chicago, Illinois, has been hired to serve as the organization’s new executive director beginning April 1, replacing Nancy Cardwell, who is retiring after 10 years with the IBMA Foundation and 20 years at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) previously.
Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina where she still has family, Cassie Wright is a banjo and Dobro player who co-leads the Chicago based Fox Crossing Stringband. Wright is a 2024 graduate of IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass program and a member of the Northern Illinois Bluegrass Association board of directors, and she served as a cultural diplomat on U.S. State Department tours to Kazakhstan and Mexico with the Bluegrass Ambassadors (The Henhouse Prowlers). Cassie also manages the Bluegrass Chicago website, which promotes live bluegrass and old-time music in the region.
Wright brings over 15 years of professional experience leading programs and operations for nonprofit and government partners in public health, housing, and education sectors. Cassie has served as Senior Director of Operations for the nonprofit Education Development Center, an organization that works with partners worldwide to advance every person’s journey to learn, work, and be well. She has provided strategic leadership collaborating with various partners across a multi-million dollar portfolio of projects.
“I have spent my career at the intersection of nonprofit work and bluegrass music because I truly believe in the power of this community,” Wright said. “I’m so excited to put that experience to work as we expand the reach and impact of the music that means so much to all of us. Nancy Cardwell and the Board of Directors have led the way with remarkable work, and I am honored to build on that foundation as we start this next chapter together.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Cassie Wright as our next executive director,” said Trisha Tubbs, president and board chair of the IBMA Foundation. “Our work thrives on relationships—with generous donors, dedicated volunteers, and trusted community partners, along with a shared passion for bluegrass music. Cassie deeply understands this and brings valuable experience and commitment to advancing our mission and growth. We also extend heartfelt gratitude to Nancy Cardwell as she retires, honoring her years of dedicated service, integrity, and leadership that have strengthened our community and shaped the Foundation’s success.”
Wright holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy from the University of Nebraska, Omaha; a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from DePaul University; and a Project Management Certification from Cornell University, College of Engineering.
Wright will assume the role of executive director on April 1, following a transition period in March working alongside current executive director Nancy Cardwell. Cardwell will remain as a consultant through June 2026. “I am pleased to pass the torch to Cassie Wright, and I look forward to witnessing what can be accomplished in the next ten years,” Cardwell said. “I will continue to support the IBMA Foundation (formerly the Foundation for Bluegrass Music) from the sidelines, as they continue the important work of making the future of bluegrass music brighter.”
Cardwell is retiring from the IBMA Foundation to dedicate more time to her family, writing, consulting, volunteering, and travel. She has also joined the Virginia-based bluegrass band Appalachian Express on acoustic bass. The group, which includes members Cindy West, Clyde Bailey, Tim Peade, Bobby Thompson, and Johnny Ridge, previously recorded five albums on the Rebel Records and Atteiram labels, and they remain a festival favorite in the southeastern U.S.
The IBMA Foundation supports programs and initiatives that foster the growth of bluegrass music. The Foundation helps donors create a bluegrass legacy through charitable donations and planned giving by supporting programs focused on bluegrass-related arts and culture, education, literary work, and historic preservation. For more information, please visit bluegrassfoundation.org.
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