Academy Of Country Music

Damon Whiteside

Whiteside's appointment to the Academy comes after 23 years in the music and entertainment industries, most recently serving 6 years at the Country Music Association where he began as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships prior to being elevated to the role of Chief Marketing Officer.In his time at CMA, Whiteside was responsible for overseeing the development of multi-million-dollar marketing and media campaigns for CMA's three annual television properties and strengthening the partnership with CMA's exclusive broadcast partner ABC Television Network and The Walt Disney Company. Additionally, Whiteside dedicated efforts to identify and build strategic partnerships with multi-platform media partners, digital companies, and Fortune 500 brands. Notable accomplishments include increased ratings for the monumental 53rd annual CMA Awards in November 2019, his leadership role in the year-long campaign for "The 50th Annual CMA Awards" and the groundbreaking "Forever Cou

Thomas Moore

Benjamin Carter

Kristina Reyes

Jeff Krones

Gilbert Beverly

Steven Mekler

Rory Levine

Taylor Wolf

Wolf, a Brentwood, TN native, has spent the past six and a half years rising through the ranks of ACM Lifting Lives, beginning as Coordinator in 2019 and advancing to Manager, Senior Manager, Director, and now Executive Director. Her tenure has been defined by an unwavering commitment to harnessing Country Music’s reach for good, guiding both the organization and its community of supporters through unprecedented times and groundbreaking initiatives.A graduate of Pepperdine University with a degree in Psychology, Wolf has been instrumental in launching and overseeing programs that have touched thousands of lives. Among her many achievements, she played a critical role in producing high-profile benefit events, stewarding multi-million-dollar fundraising efforts, and overseeing the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund, which provided vital relief to members of the Country Music community during the pandemic. She has also been a driving force behind the beloved ACM Lifting Lives Music

Christina Bartko

A native of Baltimore, MD, Bartko graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She began her career as an auditor, before earning her CPA license and moving to Nashville to work in the music industry. Prior to joining the Academy, she most recently held positions at Warner Music Group and Live Nation Entertainment. In her role as Vice President, Accounting & Finance, Bartko will oversee all accounting and finance functions for the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives. This includes financial strategy, and budgeting to ensure the organization’s fiscal health and mission alignment. Bartko will also manage financial reporting, audits, and internal controls. 

Ben Carter

Ben Carter is an industry veteran renowned for his exceptional work in event production. With roots tracing back to rural Missouri, Carter has a background spanning more than two decades in the entertainment capital of Los Angeles. Carter's tenure as Senior Director of Event Production for the Television Academy (Emmys) solidified his expertise. His portfolio includes producing prestigious events such as the LA Area Emmys, College Television Awards, Emmys Nominations Announcement and Television Academy Hall of Fame, in addition to oversight of all logistics associated with and supporting the Emmy Awards ceremonies. In his role as Vice President, Live Events & Production, Carter will leverage his extensive experience to lead the planning and execution of the Academy’s live events, including the acclaimed Academy of Country Music Awards and ACM Honors. Drawing upon his experience in orchestrating large-scale productions, Carter will play a pivotal role in elevating the ACM's live events

Lauren Burchett

Lauren Burchett is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of experience in media, entertainment, and technology, with leadership roles at ESPN, Disney, and Google. Throughout her career, she has driven revenue growth and forged high-impact partnerships with Fortune 500 brands and agencies, specializing in sponsorship sales, digital strategy, and brand storytelling across live events, broadcast, and streaming platforms. In her role as Head of Strategic Partnerships & Revenue, Burchett leads the Academy’s sponsorship and partnership strategy, reporting directly to the CEO. She oversees new business development, partner acquisition, and revenue growth, while managing the full lifecycle of sponsorships from negotiation through activation and renewal. Drawing on her background in digital media, she is advancing ACM’s evolution into a digital-first organization, building year-round content strategies that deepen fan engagement and provide innovative brand opportunities beyond the an

Haley Montgomery

Montgomery joined the Academy in 2020, where she most recently served as Director, Industry Relations & Awards. Montgomery previously held a variety of roles across the industry including brand partnerships, merchandise, brand development, touring, and industry relations. She is one of the founders of the Family Alliance in Music, which provides community and support to members of the industry who currently have families, serve as caretakers, or plan on building a family in the future.In her role as Head of Artist Relations & Awards, she will oversee the Academy’s artist and industry relations, spearhead internal talent strategy, supervise Academy membership operations, Awards voting and processes, board & governance procedures and more.

Steve Mekler

Prior to joining the Academy in 2022 as Director, Brand Marketing & Partnerships, Mekler spent three years serving as Senior Digital Manager at the Country Music Hall of Fame, where he oversaw creative marketing for owned properties and assisted with content strategies for multiplatform marketing campaigns. Previously, he also held positions at L3 Entertainment and BBR Music Group. In his role as Head of Creative and Content, he will oversee all Marketing and Creative initiatives, including the development of integrated marketing campaigns, creative direction, content development, strategy, production, and more. 

Matt Brum-Taylor

A Rhode Island native, Brum-Taylor moved to Nashville more than ten years ago to begin his career in promotions and marketing at the iHeartRadio Nashville cluster. Following his stint in radio, he worked as Social Media Manager for the Grand Ole Opry, where he was responsible for building out the Opry’s social media and digital presence. Most recently, Brum-Taylor served as Digital Marketing Director at Big Machine Label Group for seven years. During his time at BMLG, he led a team that planned and executed strategic, digital marketing initiatives for artists including Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Carly Pearce, and Sheryl Crow, among others. In his role as Director, Digital Marketing, Brum-Taylor leads all digital and social media efforts for the Academy. This includes working alongside the marketing team to create relevant and compelling content for the Academy’s social platforms, engaging with fans, artists, and the industry through the Academy’s platforms, and working to grow the rea

Jennifer Davis

Davis began her career in New York City at Buckley Hall Events, where she planned various non-profit and corporate galas throughout NYC. She then went on to join the special events team at Madison Square Garden, coordinating a portfolio of network television upfronts, the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards, television and film Shoots, NYU graduations, and more at MSG venues. Prior to joining the Academy as Manager, Events, in 2022, she also led VIP & Fan Experience and Events for FirstBank Amphitheater’s inaugural concert season in Franklin, TN.In her role as Director, Davis will oversee venue and event operations for the Academy of Country Music Awards, ACM Honors, and ACM Lifting Lives events, including talent logistics, partnership fulfillment, red carpet, budgets, AV and more. As lead producer, she will manage event staff as well as vendor and partner relations. 

Libby Gardner

Born in Kokomo, Indiana and raised in both Shelby Township, Michigan and Allentown, Pennsylvania, Libby Gardner joined the Academy full-time in 2019 as Coordinator, Creative & Content and was promoted to Manager, Content & Editorial in 2021. Gardner attended Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, where she received a bachelor's degree in Television, Radio, and Film. During her time at Syracuse, Gardner interned at the Academy with the Creative & Content team and continued working for the Academy as a freelance field producer following her graduation in 2018. Gardner is currently a member of SOLID’s Education Committee, a Music For Seniors Board Member, and the Events Co-Chair of the Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA).In her role as Senior Manager, Gardner oversees the day-to-day management of the Academy’s owned media portfolio, including the Academy's web properties, branded social channels, short-form digital content, photo archives, and email news

Maggie Feyrer

Born and raised in Garden City, New York, Maggie Feyrer moved to Nashville in 2017 to attend Vanderbilt University, where she majored in Organizational Development and held internships at Live Nation Entertainment, Music City Media and Essential Broadcast Media. Prior to her time at the Academy, Maggie worked at iHeart Media as a Digital Solutions Coordinator, where she managed strategic partnerships across iHeart Media’s digital catalogue, and Please & Thank You/Fog City Presents as a Partnerships & Activations Manager. In her role as Manager, Feyrer aids in managing and activating partnerships for the Academy, maintaining relationships with key strategic partners, communicating sponsorship needs internally, and securing new respective ACM brand partners.

Katie Casserly

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL, she graduated from the University of Florida with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Marketing. Prior to joining the Academy, she most recently served as Senior Account Coordinator at Bauer Entertainment Marketing and interned at Allied Global Marketing. In her role as Coordinator, Casserly will support the Academy’s high-functioning Marketing department, specifically assisting with daily publishing, media development and review, and community engagement across branded owned media channels.

Karson Leighton

Born and raised in Schoolcraft, MI, Leighton graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, in May 2024. He previously served as the Finance & Operations Intern at the Academy during the Spring 2024 semester, eventually transitioning to assist the Membership and Industry Relations team in the Fall 2024. In his role as Executive Assistant to CEO, CBO and Operations, Leighton will liaise between the Academy’s CEO (Damon Whiteside), CBO (Gil Beverly), external relations, and internal department heads, while working to coordinate board, officer, leadership, and committee meetings, manage the CEO’s calendar, and more.

Brooke Boyd

Hailing from Greenville, SC, Boyd interned with the Academy throughout 2023. During that time, she worked with both ACM Lifting Lives and the Academy’s live event operations team to assist in the planning and execution of key events, including the 14th annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp and the 2023 ACM Lifting Lives Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On fundraiser. She graduated from Clemson University in Clemson, SC, with a bachelor’s degree in Management. In her role as Assistant, Boyd will support the ACM Lifting Lives team with administrative duties, live events and fundraising efforts.