New Appointments to The Board of Directors
Orchestra adds six new leaders as it looks toward a continued future of community representation and artistic innovation
Louisville, KY – The Louisville Orchestra has announced that six outstanding community leaders – David Baughman, Rolandas T. Byrd, Michele Mitchell, Akhil Suresh Nair, Matt Watkins, and Ashli Watts – have joined its board in advance of the 2024–2025 season. Their varied and impressive backgrounds in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, their experience, ideas, and perspectives will serve the Louisville Orchestra well in its mission to redefine the role of the orchestra in the 21st century.
Graham Parker, Chief Executive of the Louisville Orchestra, comments:
“The Louisville Orchestra has always been dedicated to serving all who call Louisville home, and with our Kentucky Tour, we are now bringing the LO to the entire Commonwealth. Our board must continue to reflect and represent the range of communities who make Louisville and Kentucky so vibrant and exciting. I am delighted to welcome our new board members to the LO family and look forward to working with them to strengthen our organization and maximize our impact.”
LO board member and Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee Mary Ellen Wiederwohl (President & CEO of Accelerator for America) shared her enthusiasm: “The addition of these outstanding Kentuckians strengthens our board and continues to broaden the LO’s reach and perspective; I’m heartened and encouraged by their commitment.”
LO board Chair Andrew Fleischman (Partner with Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird LLP), added:
“We are thrilled to welcome these remarkable leaders to our board. Their diverse expertise and passion for the arts will undoubtedly propel the Louisville Orchestra to new heights. Together, we will continue to innovate, inspire, and make a profound impact on our community.”
David B. Baughman
CEO of the Baughman Group
Born in 1943, David Baughman is a graduate of the University of Evansville with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, having engineering as his related field of study. A father of two sons and grandfather of four, David lived most of his life in the Highlands of Louisville restoring several old homes including Rosewell in Harrods Creek. David currently lives in a home on the Ohio River in Utica Indiana just across the East End Bridge.
Business David moved to Louisville in 1969 to go to work as a pump and seal specialist at Louisville Mill Supply Company. In eight years, he grew the business 10-fold and bought the division he headed with a loan from what was then Liberty National Bank. The new company was named Baughman Seals Incorporated or BSI. As he grew that business, he added a machine shop and a hydraulic repair company. In 1993 he bought Hancock Machine and tool and expanded his business to heavy machinery repair such as Stamping Presses, later adding Schmutz Companies and King Bearings. A lifelong entrepreneur and gearhead, he was led by friends in the medical field to found Gold Standard Orthopedics in 2001, a company that manufactures spinal implants. Pioneering work in patented bone screw design led to founding a subsidiary to manufacture small temporary titanium implants for orthodontists. In the last three years he has sold all but his first two companies, which he continues to oversee as CEO.
Civic contributions David served two terms as president of the Shipping Port Business Association during Jerry Abramson’s terms as mayor, developing a comprehensive plan for the area east of Ninth Street, which is just now being implemented. He served three terms on the board of the Main Street Association during its formative years, the years when the association worked to save and revitalize Main Street. David was an original member of the board of directors of the Frazier History Museum and since has served three terms helping to guide the museum through the transition brought about by the death of its founder Owsley Frazier. He conceived and spearheaded the museum’s sale of Buddy Thompson Final Reserve, netting over $250,000 for the museum. He bought and donated the historic truck that you see when you drive by on Main Street, and worked on the committee of the Frazier Classic, a major fund-raising event for the museum.
Music Music has been a part of David’s life from an early age. He was a gold medalist on the double bass at the Illinois State Championships in his senior year of high school. He covered the majority of his college expenses leading what today would be called a cover band, playing gigs for college parties and every Sunday night at the Evansville armory switching between bass and guitar. After moving to Louisville, he formed a band called Phoenix which played the clubs on Washington Street, but had to leave the music behind when the day job took over. Returning to the double bass at age 75, he is currently the bassist for the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra. Philanthropic endeavors include sponsoring a scholarship for double bass through Sidney King at the University of Louisville School of Music. A big fan of the Louisville Orchestra, he is currently working to endow a chair for double bass.
Other interests David is a pilot holding instrument and multi-engine ratings. He is also type rated in several vintage Warbirds, and twice a performer in Thunder Over Louisville in his T28. Taking up vintage sports car racing at age 64 he was Formula Ford National champion in 2013 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. He also enjoys woodworking and amateur luthier work on vintage instruments. He and his life partner, Gayle Ciliberti, enjoy the arts, live entertainment, and travel.
Rolandas T. Byrd
Director of Community and Multicultural Banking, Republic Bank
Also known as Ro, Rolandas T. Byrd is the Senior Vice President and Director of Community and Multicultural Banking at Republic Bank, based in Louisville, Kentucky. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the banking industry, having held positions in Retail, Business Banking, Community Development, and Commercial Banking throughout his career.
Ro is a Louisville native who is passionate about supporting local businesses and helping them grow, which is why he serves as the Engagement Committee Chair for Louisville Independent Business Alliance. Ro graduated from the University of Kentucky with his bachelor’s degree in economics and later completed banking school through Wake Forest University.
Throughout his career, Ro has demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities and a strong commitment to driving successful outcomes. He possesses a deep understanding of community outreach and multicultural banking, consistently developing innovative strategies to effectively engage diverse communities.
Ro has been recognized for his contributions to the community and the banking industry. He was named one of Louisville Business First’s “20 People to Know in Banking” in 2019 and recognized as a “40 Under 40” honoree by Louisville Business First in 2016. He has also received a YMCA Black Achiever’s Award and was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel.
In his free time, Rolandas enjoys spending time with his family and friends along with volunteering in the community. He serves on several boards such as Kentucky Opera, LISC, and Community Engagement Advisory Board for University of Louisville. For leisure he spends time traveling, working out, and watching his Louisville Cardinals play.
Michele Mitchell
LDG Foundation, Board Member
Librarian, St. Raphael School
Office Administration, Sensible Psychiatric Services
Michele Mitchell is the Librarian for St. Raphael School and billing specialist and office assistant for Sensible Psychiatric Services. She works to instill a standard curriculum while also incorporating interdisciplinary projects to reinforce fundamental principles. She is also on the board of the LDG Foundation, where she is passionate about the mission to enrich lives and foster vibrant communities to encourage success. Her background is in sales, manufacturing, office management, and fundraising. Her work and volunteer experiences have helped her possess good management skills for organized work environments. She also has a background in music, which continues to play a very important role in her life. She is looking forward to serving on the board of the Louisville Orchestra.
Akhil Suresh Nair
Founder and CEO, Xena Intelligence
Akhil Suresh Nair is the founder & CEO of Xena Intelligence, an AI-powered e-commerce growth SaaS tool. He is a first-generation immigrant and the father of a beautiful baby girl. He moved to Louisville from Boston in 2022 after winning the prestigious Render Competition and Vogt Awards and has enabled multiple Kentucky based brands to go global thanks to the power of ecommerce technology. He is a big proponent of the arts and strongly believes that creativity in one’s personal and professional life leads to progress of mankind, and the work LO does is a cornerstone of community development in the region and is a proud supporter of it.
Matt Watkins, J.D., LL.M., CPWA®
Partner | Multi-Family Office
Cerity Partners
Matt Watkins is a Partner at Cerity Partners in Louisville. His practice focuses on clients facing complex family, financial, tax, and estate planning situations and he has more than two decades of experience advising high net worth families and business owners. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Matt was responsible for building and ultimately managing their family office as Director, Multi-Family Office & Senior Financial Advisor at ARGI Financial Group. Preceding his time at ARGI, he was a Vice President and Senior Wealth Strategist at PNC Wealth Management, where he advised high-net-worth clients on financial planning, investments, and insurance planning. Early in his career, Matt was a transactional lawyer, focusing his practice on mergers & acquisitions, business succession planning, employee benefits, and estate planning.
As an avid supporter of the arts, Matt Watkins has long admired the Louisville Orchestra and its tremendous contributions to the community. He is committed to giving back to the Louisville community by using his skills to positively impact the organizations that serve it.
Ashli Watts
President and CEO, Kentucky Chamber
Ashli Watts was named the President and CEO for the Kentucky Chamber, the state’s largest business association, in November 2019 after serving seven years as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. During her tenure at the Chamber, she has led efforts in passing significant pieces of legislation such as felony expungement, right to work legislation, workers’ compensation reform, unemployment insurance reform and tax reform. As part of the Chamber’s leadership team, the Kentucky Chamber was named National State Chamber of the Year in 2017. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission.
Ashli graduated from Campbellsville University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history in 2004 and holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from the University of Louisville. She is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, and currently serves on the boards for Campbellsville University, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, University of Louisville President’s Advisory Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of State Chambers, and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), where she was also named a 40 under 40 in 2020. She currently resides in Frankfort with her husband, Ryan, and two children, Emma and Carter.
