The Perlman Music Program Suncoast, Inc. Elects John Letourneau as Board President

The Perlman Music Program Suncoast, Inc.’s (Perlman Suncoast) Board of Directors elected John Letourneau to be the nextPresident of the Board, effective as of July 1, 2019. John will replace current Board President, Fran Lambert. Perlman Suncoast also elected four new Board members: Carla Cimo Hunter, Marvin Kadesh, Joan E. Krauter, and Seymour Ziegelman, M.D.

John Letourneau has served on The Perlman Music Program Suncoast, Inc. Board since 2016. He is currently the Senior Vice President, Branch Director at RBC Wealth Management in Sarasota, Florida. Originally from Waterville, Maine, John has been in the financial services industry since 1985. He moved to Sarasota in 1995 where he began working with individual clients on their wealth management planning and investment needs. John had never been exposed to classical music prior to attending a Perlman Music Program Alumni performance in 2016. “I was so moved by that experience that I wanted others to learn more about this amazing group of young students.  Since then I’ve grown to love classical music and, specifically, the Perlman Suncoast family. My goal as President is to help expand our presence and exposure throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties.” John has served on numerous boards of local non-profit entities, including the YMCA and Junior Achievement. He and his wife, Tillie, have six children. 

Carla Cimo Hunter moved to Sarasota from Oakland Hills, California in 2017. She was a top national executive recruiter for 30 years; taught ESL, High School and Middle School; and volunteers with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s Shapiro Teen Engagement Program (STEP) to help educate, engage, and empower Jewish teens into leadership roles. Carla has also resided in Columbia and Mexico, and is trained as a classical pianist.

Marvin Kadesh has lived in Lakewood Ranch, Florida since December 2008. Originally from central New Jersey, he founded Kadesh Travel, Inc. in 1966; “The Travel Group” in 1980; and was the founding director of Travel Alliance in 1990, serving as its CEO from 1990-2000. Marvin served on various travel and community boards while living in New Jersey and has volunteered his time in Sarasota with organizations such as Big Brother/Big Sister and the Salvation Army. He currently sits on the Perlman Suncoast Development Committee.

Joan E. Krauter is a retired journalism executive with over 40 years of leadership experience in newsrooms and major U.S. communities, with strong interests in non-profit efforts. She was Executive Editor and Vice President of the Bradenton Herald from 1998-2018 and Managing Editor/Editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 1989-1998. Joan has received numerous honors, including “Making a Difference in Manatee” award in 2003 and “Martin Luther King, Jr. Citizen of the Year” in 2011. May 22, 2018 was designated “Joan Krauter Day in Manatee County” by proclamation of the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners.

Dr. Seymour Ziegelman graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan in 1963, and was Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology there from 1970 until 2009. He was a Captain in the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1969, and practiced Obstetrics & Gynecology from 1969 until 2009. Seymour was the Chairman for capital fundraising at Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, Michigan and served as its Vice President from 1976 until 1978. He was a supporter of the Detroit Symphony from 1970 until 2012 and is currently the Treasurer of the Erwin and Isabelle Ziegelman Foundation.

About The Perlman Music Program/Suncoast
The Perlman Music Program Suncoast (Perlman Suncoast) cultivates audiences of all ages through classical music performances and education outreach programs, including hosting the PMP Sarasota Winter Residency and presenting PMP Alumni: Around Town and PMP Alumni: In Schools performances. Through its relationship with The Perlman Music Program (PMP), founded by Toby Perlman, and with a world-renown faculty, including internationally-acclaimed violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman, Perlman Suncoast offers the public the unique opportunity to witness the talent and spirit of extraordinarily gifted and promising young string students and accomplished graduates.
 
The 17-day PMP Sarasota Winter Residency provides valuable mentoring and performance opportunities for approximately 35 young international string musicians, ages 12-20+, and offers 20+ free and low-cost musical events on the campus of USF Sarasota-Manatee. The 2019-2020 PMP Sarasota Winter Residency will take place December 19, 2019 – January 4, 2020. The Celebration Concert, held on January 4, 2020 at the Sarasota Opera House, is the culmination of the Winter Residency, featuring the PMP Chorus, led by Chorus Master Patrick Romano and the PMP Orchestra, conducted under the baton of Itzhak Perlman.