Jed Hilly serves as the Executive Director for the Americana Music Association and as the Executive Producer of AMERICANAFEST and the Americana Honors & Awards. Jed also provides leadership for the office team who work to make the annual festival and conference a destination event that is now in its 22nd year.

Danna Strong is the Conference Producer of AMERICANAFEST. For two decades, she has been responsible for facilitating Nashville’s most comprehensive music industry forum with buzz-worthy keynotes and panels covering an array of topics from sync licensing to DIY artist development. Danna also focuses on relationships with industry and business partners, other music organizations and international associates.

Craig Shelburne is the Festival Producer of AMERICANAFEST. He produces every aspect of the festival from the moment the band is selected as a showcase to the moment they hit the stage. Craig curates each venue's lineup to provide the best festival experience possible.  

Tara Clark is the Registration Manager at AMERICANAFEST. During festival season, Tara manages conference and festival wristband sales, Honors & Awards ticket sales as well as seating for the show. She will manage a team of volunteers at the registration desk during the festival week, making sure all passholders are checked in when they arrive and have their proper credentials.

David Chamberlain is the Press Manager for AMERICANAFEST, accommodating members of the media throughout the week. As a member of the marketing team, he is also responsible for every email that lands in your inbox from Americana, so if you read it, he wrote it.

Michele Rhoades curates and oversees radio panels during the conference portion of AMERICANAFEST. Since 2015, she has been responsible for setting up, executing and overseeing all Americana radio interviews and sessions.

Destiny McGregor is the Conference & Events Manager for almost 50 panels at The Westin Nashville and over 60 special events around Music City. She will be leading a volunteer team and ensuring all aspects of the conference floor are running smoothly.

Clara Keen is the Conference Production Assistant at AMERICANAFEST. She helps cover all angles of our industry-leading panels behind the scenes. Clara also assists with special events and artist coordination.

Emma Irvin is the Festival Manager, helping manage all of the venues and coordinating with stage managers for showcasing performances. She assists with all festival needs and ensures a smooth week of production.

Valentino Venti is the Archive Specialist, better known as the Swiss army knife. He assists with panel production, ticketing and pass distribution, special event facilitation and the digitization of the entire Americana Music Association archive.