as executive director. Parker will work with NIVA’s board and staff to grow the association’s membership in addition to expanding national partnerships in live entertainment sectors.
Parker is also responsible for promoting diversity and equity across independent venues, ensuring that music and comedy venues, festivals and promoters have a voice at the federal, state and local levels. His background includes stints as a national association leader, a music policy advocate, a senior advisor to governors across the U.S., and a national coalition builder. He spent nearly a decade at the National Governors Association, where he directed intergovernmental and congressional affairs, and served as a liaison between governors and the federal government in addition to leading education, labor, economic, and workforce policy development.
“Independent venues and festivals are a platform for artists, an inspiration for fans and an economic driver in every state and community,” said Parker. “I look forward to working with the board of directors to ensure that live entertainment venues, festivals and promoters have the resources they need to survive and thrive, to advocate for equity across music and comedy ecosystems and to place NIVA at the forefront of policy discussions nationwide.