MUSIC HEALTH ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES NEW HIRE AND PROMOTIONS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — February 3, 2022 — Music Health Alliance (MHA), recently honored with the 2021 CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award, announced today a new hire and two promotions at the Nashville-based non-profit. Laura Flagler Crowell has been added as Executive Administrator to the CEO while Certified Senior Advisor® Shelia Shipley Biddy has been promoted from COO to CFO and Nikki Black elevated from Sr. Director of Advocacy to Vice President Programs & Policy. Crowell joins the incredible 11-person team of advocates who have worked tirelessly over the last two years to support the physical and mental health needs of America’s music community during this critical time in our industry. Crowell joins founder and CEO Tatum Allsep; Shelia Shipley Biddy, in her new role as CFO and Certified Senior Advisor; Taylor McLeod, Sr. Director of Advocacy, Insurance & Training; Colleen Hoagland, Special Project & Advocate Support; Bonita Allen, Sr. Director of Group Health, who will now focus on group health exclusively; Nikki Black, elevated to Vice President Programs & Policy; Erin Lancaster, Manager of Client, Programs & Policy Support; Suzanne Berg, Manager of Advocacy & Insurance, Denise Roberts, Manager of Advocacy & Insurance, Sophia Rhoades, Manager of Advocacy & Insurance, and Suzanne Spooner-Faulk, Manager of Administration & Finance and Executive Assistant to Biddy. The powerhouse all female team will continue to assist more than 17,000 music industry professionals with the entire spectrum of their healthcare needs, ranging from assistance with medical bills or physical and mental health guidance that includes finding doctors or prescription medicine, finding financial grants while recovering from a serious health issue, affordable health insurance, or answers to Medicare questions. Crowell began her career in the music industry in Nashville, Tennessee promoting such superstars as Tim McGraw, Gary Allan, Lee Ann Womack, Rhett Akins, Wynonna and Mark Chesnutt. For seven years, she worked in radio promotions at Decca Records and Atlantic Records, as well as serving as an executive assistant at management mainstays rpm management; and an assistant at Pro Tours, Inc./Ken Stilts Management. After a number of years in North Carolina and Texas, Crowell is thrilled to be back in Nashville and reunited with some of old colleagues at Music Health Alliance. Crowell can be reached at laura@musichealthalliance.com. “The last 9 years at MHA have been paved by a team of fierce and compassionate women, and I am thrilled to announce this exciting time of growth and restructuring,” shares Allsep. “These additions will make certain that MHA has the continued capacity to grow and serve our nation’s music industry professionals and their ever-changing healthcare needs for many years to come.“ Biddy can be reached at shelia@musichealthalliance.com and Black at Nikki@musichealthalliance.com Based in Nashville, MHA has provided free healthcare advocacy and support to more than 17,000 music industry members across 48 states in the non-profit’s first nine years - songwriters, musicians, performers, producers, engineers, venue operators, artist managers, agents, publishers, business managers, and more - by providing access to medicine, mental health resources, COVID-19 relief, diagnostic tests, lifesaving transplants, end of life care and many other necessary services, saving more than $84,000,000 in healthcare costs for the nationwide music community in less than a decade. Entirely funded through grants and individual and corporate donations, financial support from the music community is critical to continue MHA’s advocacy and free services. For every $1 donation, MHA is able to provide $30 in life-saving healthcare resources to Heal The Music. In response to the pandemic, Music Health Alliance’s COVID-19 Relief Plan was created to provide direct support for the immediate needs of music industry professionals and their families during this public health crisis through relief grants, simplified solutions and a comprehensive database of resources. MHA fights so those in our industry never have to feel alone in a health crisis and removes obstacles so patients can receive lifesaving care. Its services are free to any person who has worked in the music industry for three or more years or who has credited contributions to 4 commercially released recordings or videos. Spouses, partners, and children of qualifying individuals may also receive access to the non-profit’s services from birth to end of life.