PIANOS FOR PEOPLE
THE PLAYERS

Hope has been on the Board of Directors for Pianos for People since 2015, holding the position of Treasurer for several years before assuming the role of President in 2026. In her prior life, she held numerous leadership positions in the business world, culminating in Senior Vice President roles with The May Company department stores and Caleres after moving to St. Louis in 1999. From 2015 - 2022, she lectured at the University of Missouri, Columbia, in Textile and Apparel Management, and the Crosby MBA program in the Trulaske College of Business.

She has served in leadership roles in many non-profit and educational organizations throughout St. Louis and Missouri: Chairperson of the Textile and Apparel Advisory Board at the University of Missouri, founder and president of Women in the Footwear Industry, St. Louis chapter, and a business mentor for the St. Louis Fashion Fund incubator. She currently serves on the Arts and Letters Commission for University City as well being an officer in her University City Neighborhood Association.

Hope started piano lessons at a young age and her early remembrances are infused with music, with accomplished pianists on her father’s side of the family. After graduating from Brown University magna cum laude with a BA in Music History and Literature, she continued her lifelong study of the instrument, albeit with little distinction! Although classically trained, she is enthused by the jazz and blues traditions that flourish in St. Louis and is committed to helping Pianos for People fulfill its mission of bringing the joy of music to our community with innovative programming and a solid financial footing.

Jim is the LIBRIX partner with responsibility for client growth and satisfaction, and he brings over 25 years of Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience expertise to LIBRIX and its clients. Most recently, Jim was Chief Sales Officer and a member of the executive leadership team of Clearent, a financial technology company founded in 2005. As the executive in charge of developing and executing strategies to grow, educate and manage the performance of Clearent's direct and channel sales forces, Clearent's customer base grew from 1,100 to over 7,000 during Jim's tenure.

Prior to Clearent, Jim spent eight years in the Maritz organization in a variety of sales and sales leadership roles in the Research and Learning business units, culminating with his role as Chief Sales Officer of the Learning business unit from 2005 to 2008. In that role, Jim's experience in improving client companies' sales and customer experience performance was a key factor in the business unit's ten-fold growth. Jim has also held senior leadership positions with Influence LLC, Computer Sales International, and Reynolds & Reynolds. He regularly speaks to undergraduate and graduate level business classes at universities around the country on the topics of Sales, Customer Service and Leadership learning strategies.

Jim is originally from Kansas City, but has lived in St. Louis for the last 23 years with his wife Lori. Jim & Lori have 3 children – 2 in college and 1 graduating high school in 2020 – and in his spare time he enjoys traveling with his family, playing pickup basketball and playing for charity events with his jazz quintet known as the NFPJQ (Not-for-profit Jazz Quintet).

Jeanne Knowles Townsend is a St. Louis attorney and provisional Court Judge in St. Louis County. She is Board Chair of the Oliverian School in Hanover, New Hampshire, and serves on the Board of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company.

As an attorney, Ms. Townsend practiced Maritime Law as the first female partner of Goldstein and Price in St. Louis. She is licensed to practice in both Missouri and Illinois. Her passion continues to be education, particularly for creative kids struggling and often overlooked by traditional education.

Gene is Director of Talent for Signature Cruise Experiences. He previously served as Executive Director of the Savannah Music Festival and as the President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis for 23 years, where he led an $8.5 million capital campaign as well as the expansion of education and outreach programs reaching more than 200,000 students. Before his tenure with Jazz St. Louis, Gene served as the Director of Operations for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and as the Production Manager for the Honolulu Symphony.

Known for his award-winning collaborations with other arts institutions, his collaboration with Opera Theatre of St. Louis resulted in the commissioning and production of two operas; Champion in 2013 and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in the fall of 2021, making history as the first opera written by an African-American to ever be presented at The Met.

Gene has received many honors over the years, including an honorary Doctorate from the University of Missouri St. Louis, University of Rochester/Eastman School of Music’s Centennial Award, Jazz Journalist Association’s Jazz Hero Award, St. Louis Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts, Excellence in Leadership and Civic Engagement Award and Inclusive Leadership Award. He has also been named the Non-profit Executive of the Year by the St. Louis American Foundation, honored as one of the Most Influential People in St. Louis and received a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from the Webster Groves Arts Commission.

Gene earned a bachelor’s degree in Music from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester and an MBA from Washington University. As a student at Eastman, Gene developed a passion for playing blues harmonica, which he still plays today. As a harmonica player, he has performed with leading artists such as Jon Batiste, Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, Cedric Burnside, and Cyrus Chestnut. Gene and his wife, Maria, have one daughter, Mireille.

A graduate of Princeton University and Columbia University Law School, James’ love affair with the Arts began with his collegiate studies of Greek literature and its playwrights. His legal career started in Philadelphia and then to Atlantic City where James served as Vice President & General Counsel for Harrah's Atlantic City and later Harrah's Nevada in Las Vegas. After serving as corporate counsel for Argosy Gaming Company, James retired from the active practice of law and taught Western Civilization, World History and American History at Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois.

James’ studied in South America as an AFS exchange student when he was 16 and has traveled extensively. Decades later, he is actively engaged in helping international high school students come to America and encouraging American students to study abroad through the various AFS programs. A lifelong lover of the Arts, James is the Board President of The St. Louis Black Repertory Company (“The Black Rep”) which is one of the most prestigious African American theater companies in the nation and the only one that has provided 39 seasons of continuous performances.

James is presently pursuing a lifelong goal to become “conversant” on the piano by taking weekly lessons at Pianos for People.

Mark and two business partners built Forward Research, Inc., a custom marketing research firm focused on providing strategic marketing insights to support new product concept development, market positioning, branding and messaging. Fortune 500 clients include Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Bayer and Monsanto. In 2008, the firm of 25 employees was sold to Ipsos, 3rd largest global marketing research firm worldwide, and Mark continued as a Sr. Vice President. In a prior life, Mark obtained an education degree and taught in a public elementary school setting.

Although not one musically talented bone in his body, Mark loves all types of music and attends the Chautauqua Institution music festival annually, enjoying classical, voice, and master classes on the grounds of Chautauqua. Mark is currently involved in St. Louis community policing and predatory lending task forces to address recommendations that came out of the Ferguson Commission.

Mark graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from The Colorado College and has an MBA, with a concentration in marketing, from Washington University in St. Louis.

Anne has been involved with Pianos for People as a volunteer working on 100 Fingers for many years before joining the Board in 2026. Anne retired in 2018 from pharmaceutical sales. The last 25 years of her work life she was with Johnson & Johnson holding multiple leadership positions culminating as Executive District Manager for the biotech division- Janssen Biotech. During her work life, Anne won multiple awards but enjoyed coaching those who worked for her to achieve their goals the most.

Anne has a history of volunteerism. She had multiple roles at Shaare Emeth where she was president of the Pre-School, Camp Emeth and on the Board. Anne was treasurer for Johnson & Johnson Western Region Retiree Association. Anne and her husband, Sheldon are avid supporters of Pianos for People, College Bound, The St Louis Art Museum, The St Louis Zoo, Forest Park Forever and Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Anne grew up in a musical house and musical family. Music has always been important part of her and her family’s life. It is this foundation that showed her how important Pianos for People mission is to the people it serves.

Anne grew up in Sydney, Australia. She moved with her 5 siblings, parents and grandmother to Rochester, Minnesota when she was in 9th grade. She attended St Olaf College graduating with BA in Biology. She received her MS from Creighton University in Medical Microbiology and Immunology. Her first job in Pharmaceuticals moved Anne to St Louis where she met and married Sheldon Harber. They have two daughters, one son-in-law and one granddaughter. Anne and Sheldon enjoy concerts, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Adaron (usually known as "Pops") is the Interim Co-President and CEO for Jazz St. Louis. Previously he served for four years as Director for the David and Thelma Steward Institute of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, as well as Artistic Director for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival. Originally from East St. Louis, IL, Pops has performed and toured nationally and internationally with a diverse array of artists and ensembles.

Along with Tom Townsend, Tim was a co-founder and CEO of Rodgers Townsend, an advertising agency based in St. Louis serving clients like AT&T, The Black Rep, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Forest Park Forever, The Hartford Insurance Company, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, PBS and Spectrum Brands. In addition to winning every major creative award, the agency was known for its egalitarian culture and commitment to pro bono causes, being the only advertising agency recognized with the Mayor’s “Spirit of St. Louis Award." Tim retired from RT in 2017.

Tim and Tom shared a strong commitment to St. Louis, and in 2006 co-developed one of the Cupples Warehouse buildings on the National Historic Register. In 2001, they were named Ernst & Young “Entrepreneurs of the Year”; elected to the St. Louis Media and Advertising Hall of Fame in 2014; and recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Club of Greater St. Louis in 2018.

Tim is an insatiable student of history, a travel aficionado, and writes and produces his own music. He remains active with pro bono work for Pianos For People, Civic Pride, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and St. Louis University High.

Kelly Sledge-Martin is a health and wellness professional and certified yoga instructor. She also has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and corporate sales. This includes work for Johnson and Johnson, Merck & Co, Planned Parenthood of Louisiana and St. Louis. Kelly has also volunteered with many organizations, such as Girls on the Run and Ready Readers.

Kelly graduated with honors from Stephens College. She earned an MBA degree from Fontbonne University. In addition, she completed doctoral work in public health at Saint Louis University as well as studied immunology at Princeton University. Kelly has a deep love of the arts and is the proud mom of two violinists and the wife of a jazz pianist.

Bio coming soon.

Creative icon, community leader and philanthropist Tom Townsend passed away in St. Louis on October 4, 2019, following a brief battle with angio sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Tom was a beloved husband, father, uncle, cousin, friend, teacher, mentor, partner, and connector of people from all walks of life. He was a passionate writer, musician, artist, photographer, philosopher, and advertising professional. He was a true inspiration to people all over the world, and had a profound impact on anyone with whom he came into contact.

Tom was Co-founder of Rodgers Townsend/DDB, a prominent St. Louis advertising agency, where he created award-winning advertising for AT&T, The Hartford, Enterprise, Energizer, PBS, Microsoft and other national brands. Rodgers Townsend was awarded the Spirit of St. Louis Award for donating well over a million dollars’ worth of pro bono hours to St. Louis organizations including Forest Park Forever, The Foster Care Coalition, The Black World History Museum, The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, The Regional Arts Council, The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, Circus Flora, and others.

In 2010, Tom and Jeanne Townsend lost their oldest child, Alex, in a car accident while he was a graphic design and advertising student at Savannah College of Art and Design. They started the Alex Townsend Memorial Foundation to honor his memory, and in 2012 they founded Pianos for People. In July 2014 Tom retired from the advertising agency in order to focus his efforts on managing the rapid growth and long-term success of Pianos for People and the Alex Townsend Memorial Foundation, as well as his many other philanthropic causes.

Michael was the former President, MasterCard Payment Transaction Services for Global Products and Solutions. In this role, he was responsible for leading the powerful debit and prepaid processing platforms that extend MasterCard’s value proposition beyond its traditional role as a network processor. Over his 30 years at MasterCard, he held the positions of group executive, Global Processing Business; Chief Technology Officer; Group executive, Strategic Account Management; and Senior Vice President within Computer and Network Services.

An accountant by profession, he had more than 34 years of experience, over 30 of them with MasterCard, in areas including corporate finance, U.S. regional finance, and operations.

He previously served on the board of directors and executive committee of the local Better Business Bureau as well as the St. Louis University Institute of International Business advisory board. He also served on the finance committee of Family Forward and the Sheldon Arts Foundation Board of Directors.

Michael, an accomplished guitarist, played in the Pianos for People house band at the highly popular Piano Slams! Michael passed away suddenly in 2025, though we recognize him at every PFP function with a Manchisi moment, a moment of silence to just reflect and remember the joy in life, the way that Mike so often did.

Patricia Weeks Eastman is on the piano faculties of St. Louis University and Webster University where she is founder and co-director of the Webster Piano Ensemble Festival and Classical Piano Camps. In 2000, Ms. Eastman formed a professional piano duo with colleague Donna Vince. They perform regularly in and around the St. Louis area. She has performed at the Sheldon, on From the Garden - Live! and with the Winston–Salem Symphony, the Brevard Festival Orchestra, the Webster Symphony and as pianist for the Concurso Nacional de Violin de Mexico. She has been a collaborative staff pianist at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Southeast French Horn workshop, the vocal studios of Betty Allen and Charles Bressler and the Long Island Symphonic Choral Association under the direction of Gregg Smith.

She holds the BM in Piano Performance and MM in Performance and Pedagogy. Pat maintains a successful private teaching studio, is former Vice-President of the St. Louis Area Music Teachers Association, and an in-demand judge for piano festivals and competitions.