YAKIMA, Wash. – The executive director of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra (YSO) announced his mid-September resignation, according to a Wed., Aug. 28 press release.
David Rogers has been with YSO since 2013 after spending eight years in the administration of The Florida Orchestra and nearly as many years at the University of South Florida in Tampa as music faculty.
Rogers was responsible for business and administration for the YSO, which the press release says saw an increase of over 50 percent in subscribership and concert attendance in the five years prior to the pandemic during his tenure.
Rogers also developed the Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) non-profit music-based leadership program which facilitated early musical growth and development.
Rogers represented YSO in several organizations and activities, including the Yakima Downtown Rotary Club which he is a member of and a chair of the Racial Justice Committee. He has also served on the Yakima Arts Commission since 2014 and serves on the boards of Yakima Valley Tourism and the Yakima-Morelia Sister city Association.
During the pandemic, Rogers helped YSO remain active with online programming by securing federal grants and PPP funds.
The press release says the YSO Board of Directors hired an interim executive director, Don Roth from Davis, California, and will search nationwide to find a new executive director.
