Bay Philharmonic starts 24/25 with new business model and experienced new leaders
Fremont, CA – As the Bay Philharmonic began its 60th year of operation, the company adopted a Collaborative Team Management model and elected a new Board of Directors—Key actions taken to sustain growth and serve more Bay Area residents.
Bay Phil believes this innovative business model—built on a flat organizational structure with Board and Staff working together as a Team—helps leaders function most effectively in the best interests of the organization and build an inspiring, inclusive and values-driven culture.
Roles & Responsibilities
The Board of Directors focuses on governance and fiduciary responsibility; and Artistic Director Jung-Ho Pak and Operations Leaders Candy Culver and Dr. Carlos Hernandez manage programming, production, development, marketing, box office, and volunteers. A Finance Committee team oversees Bay Phil’s financial health.
New Operations Leaders
Bay Phil’s Operations Leaders are: Candy Culver, Dr. Carlos Hernandez and Jung-Ho Pak.
Candy, a 25+-year Bay Area nonprofit development and marketing consultant, joined Bay Phil in January. She is passionate about working with the organization to help under-served communities and people, giving them access to the power of music she was privileged to experience, starting in her childhood. Music was a constant thread in her life, and she became a band member (playing 2 instruments) and vocalist starting in 5th grade.
Making a difference is Candy’s personal mission, and the connection to Bay Phil and music brings her background and experience full circle. A graduate of Ball State University (something she and Carlos have in common), she has also received more than a dozen awards for her work from the International Association of Business Communicators.
Candy is Bay Phil’s Director of Philanthropy, Business Partnerships and Marketing — managing marketing and advertising, box office, volunteer programs and finances.
Carlos was born and raised in Miami, and has conducted and led ensembles since he was 15 years’ old. He has served locally, nationally and internationally as a conductor, educator & facilitator.
Carlos holds four degrees in music – all with a major or minor emphasis in conducting; 3 from Florida International University along with his Doctorate from Ball State University. His doctoral studies focused on entrepreneurship in music, allowing him to dive deeper into business administration and the nonprofit sector.
Joy, purposeful engagement, rigor, social consciousness, and ensemble empowerment guide his conversations with musicians about, and through, high-quality experiences. Carlos aims to provide transformative experiences for musicians and audiences within, and beyond the concert hall.
He joined the team in May as Bay Phil’s Artistic Administrator and Bay Phil Youth Orchestra’s (BPYO) Music Director — managing all production and education efforts. Carlos is one of the only Latino youth conductors in the Bay Area.
Artistic Director and Conductor Jung-Ho Pak is well-known by Bay Phil followers, guests and volunteers who have experienced all the incredible magic of Bay Phil Shows he creates in recent years. He brought over 35 years’ of experience conducting acclaimed professional and conservatory orchestras around the world to the Bay Phil six years ago when he became Artistic Advisor. During that time, he also worked bi-coastal, as the Artistic Director and Conductor for the Cape Symphony in Massachusetts. Today, his Bay Phil role includes programming main shows, selecting and working with guest artists, and conducting.
One of the only Korean-American conductors in the United States, Jung-Ho has long believed that what music gives us is so much more than the music itself. He was the first to state: Our purpose is to deliver beauty and joy in an accessible way and for that joy to inspire hope and for hope to create social change.
New Board of Directors (BOD)
The 24/25 Board of Directors is chaired by Donald Pipkin (President), Washington Hospital’s Healthcare Strategy & Development Executive. With 18+ years of hospital management experience, he leads a Trustee team that includes:
Treasurer Eva-Maria Tisdale
Secretary of the Corporation Cecilia Caparas Apelin
Board Member Lisa Lorenz
Board Member Gary Charland
Donald, Washington Hospital’s Chief of Strategic Management with 18 years of experience, is passionate about ensuring that the arts, particularly musical arts, are accessible to all. He believes that all kinds of creative arts are critical to a vibrant society and that the pursuit of curiosity, expression, and happiness are cornerstones of our existence. Donald is personally and professionally excited to work with a highly creative, expressive, and compassionate team at Bay Phil and is committed to the organization’s mission, spirit, and vision.
“I’m eager to work with our team, our musicians, and our guests to honor the tradition of this beautiful organization and participate in its evolution as we bring music to all who we can.”
Donald received his Master of Healthcare Administration degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Eva-Maria is Founder and CEO of Mission Peak Health, Inc., former CFO of CardioGrade Inc., former CFO of Robert Tisdale Veterinary Hospital for 30+ years, Founder of San Ramon Valley German Language School, and Fremont Symphony’s 1991-1993 Past Board President. She adds deep Fremont community involvement and expertise in financial leadership, change management, operations management, and human resources to the Board. Eva-Maria excels in developing individuals and teams to achieve objectives.
German-born, raised and educated, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Wirtschaftsinstitute Konstanzm; studied Literature at the University of Pennsylvania as well as Economics, Psychology and Business at Ohlone College; and was certified as a trainer in Neurolinguistic Programming at the University of Santa Cruz.
Her mission in life is to strive for excellence with honesty, responsibility and passion to contribute to society in a healthy way.
Cecilia’s mission is to disrupt the creative industry. An entrepreneur, brand marketer, executive producer, and lover of music, design, fashion, and art. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Ciel Creative Space, a multi-use artistic Berkeley sanctuary with 55,000 square feet of connecting studios and event space.
Ceclia has 25+ years of experience in advertising, music, tech and fashion industries—and founded and led creative teams at Indigo Sky, producing award-winning work for Condé Nast, Gap, Airbnb, Facebook, and Samsung, among others.
Her commitment to the creative arts communities around the globe is seen in her committee or board member work for SoHo House, DesignBayArea, and Berkeley Chambers as well as her involvement and support of the Women’s Presidents Organization and various national and international nonprofits.
Lisa has a passion for building community and bringing people together. She enthusiastically joined the Bay Philharmonic/Fremont Symphony board in 2019, serving as President 2020-2024 to help spread the word of the incredible talent brought to the stage by the Bay Phil.
As a Wealth Building Coach with Wealth Space Financial Services since 2012 and a Realtor with Intero Real Estate Services since 2002, Lisa is known for helping people achieve their financial goals and home ownership dreams. She founded the Depot Café in the historic Fremont train station in 1999 and most recently, brought the first One Kitchen franchise to the West Coast.
She has proudly served the broader community through Niles-Rotary as a member since 2001, as President of Niles-Fremont Rotary Club in 2015-2016, and as Assistant Governor and Lieutenant Governor for the Rotary’s #1 District in North America, Rotary District 5170, from 2018 – 2024.
Gary Charland brings more than 25 years of experience in innovative and strategic health care leadership to his Board role. He retired from his 10-year position as President /CEO of Masonic Homes of California in 2023, having previously served as its Trustee for 6 years. Gary was instrumental in the formation and growth of the Washington Township Medical Foundation, the third largest Medical Group in the Silicon Valley, which he served as the Executive Director for nearly four years.
A community leader in the greater Union City area, Gary was also the chairman of the Board of the Newark Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Grants Committee for the Niles Rotary, and is a former Board Member of the Alameda Health System.
Collective Culture Agreement
Along with the new business model, leaders approved a Collective Culture Agreement that defines the company’s values: inclusive, progressive, nurturing, responsive, respectful, kind, and accountable.
The new Management Model, Board Leaders, and Culture Agreement fulfill the company’s desire to apply its 60 years of experience to move forward professionally and sustainably, opening doors to new opportunities and entertainment that best delivers all the beauty and joy of music to more Bay Area communities.