Our Team
Janet Luhrs, Executive Director
Since June of 2013, Janet Luhrs has served as the Executive Director of The Jazz Gallery. A former television producer, Executive Director and General Manager, Janet's management expertise in budgeting and financial oversight, fundraising, strategic planning, board governance and development, membership development and concert marketing have been instrumental in achieving financial stability and strong administrative direction for the organization.
Previously, Janet served as the Executive Director and General Manager of Musica Sacra of New York, a professional choral music organization (nine years), Executive Director of Friends of FAWE – Forum for African Women Educationalists (three years). Prior to that Janet served as the Executive Director of the International Teleproduction Society (eleven years). Ms. Luhrs was the senior producer in charge of public affairs programming for WPIX-TV for fourteen years where she was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Her awards and honors have included being named a CAE, Certified Association Executive by ASAE – the American Society of Association Executives, An Emmy Nomination, and listings in The World Who’s Who in Women, Who’s Who in American Politics, Who’s Who in Media, Who’s Who in Community Leaders, Who’s Who in Entertainment, and the Dictionary of International Biography. In 2023, Janet was honored with The Jazz Gallery Founders Award.
Janet received a BA from Valparaiso University where she later was elected to serve on their Alumni Board. Her continuing education has included: Columbia University, The New School, Emory University Business School, Center for Leadership and Career Studies and numerous management conferences conducted by ASAE including their invitational Leadership Conference.
She is an active member of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church where she served as an elder and actively participates in a variety of roles on stage in FAPC Theatre Fellowship Equity showcase productions.
Nerissa Campbell, Deputy Director
Nerissa Campbell is Deputy Director and Marketing & Membership Director of The Jazz Gallery. Since joining the organization in 2015, she has supported its growth into a nationally recognized institution, providing strategic leadership across marketing, membership, communications, operations, fundraising, and organizational development. Campbell brings more than 25 years of experience in the arts, nonprofit, and creative sectors and over three decades as a performing artist & composer. She is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Rio Sakairi, Artistic Director
Rio has single handedly influenced the current jazz scene more than anyone I know,” proclaims pianist Vijay Iyer. As the Artistic Director at The Jazz Gallery since 2000, she has established herself as a leading expert in the field. Under her leadership, The Jazz Gallery has come to be known as "the most imaginatively booked jazz club in NYC" (NY Times), while becoming a three-time recipient of the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Rio also received the 2016 Jazz Hero Award.
Rio has produced sold-out events at venues such as Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, HarlemStage, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning etc. Rio has appeared as a guest speaker or panelist at APAP, JazzNow, and CMA Conference. She also conducted masterclasses at universities and jazz youth camps. She has served on panels for the NEA, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, American Pianists Association, CMA, Pew Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, German Jazz Prize, and others. She has been a consultant to the Symphony Space, North Sea Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, So What’s Next Festival, Cologne Jazzweek, and ACT4Music Festivals. Rio also serves the NoMad Jazz Festival as its artistic director. Her blog has 3,000+ monthly subscribers.
Veteran critic Ted Panken has observed, “Jazz would not sound the way it does today had not The Jazz Gallery served as a locus for NYC’s polyglot musical community to exchange ideas and work on moving to the next step” and Nate Chinen (NPR) called Rio “one of the most influential arts programmers of our time.
David Johnston, Development Director
David Johnston is the Development Director for The Jazz Gallery, where he has worked since 2021. Formerly, he was the Executive Director of Exploring the Metropolis, the only NYC nonprofit focused on space issues for the performing arts. Since beginning work at TJG, he has increased foundation, public and individual giving by nearly 70%, started TJG’s first planned giving program, secured funding for education programs and contracted TJG’s first capital grant from the City of New York, for a new Steinway piano. He is also a playwright, screenwriter and librettist, whose works have been translated, performed and screened in the UK, Czech Republic, Los Angeles, New York, Cape Cod and Mexico City.
Sara Trenner, Production Manager
Sara Trenner is the Director of Production and Facilities of The Jazz Gallery, and has been a part of the organization since 2023. She brings 15 years of production experience as a stagehand, audio engineer, stage manager, and production manager. Sara is also a classical vocalist, and received her Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
Declan Sheehy-Moss, Special Events & Rental Manager
Declan Sheehy-Moss is a genre-bending multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and artist born and raised in New York City. Dipping his fingers (and ears) in everything, Declan blends jazz, pop, funk, electronic, and more to produce a searing fusion of sound.
Declan’s digital production and recording skills along with his instrumental and technical prowess combine to create a digital and acoustic mix, supported by analog synths, EWI, and the other quirky instruments assembled at his home studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Since 2017 Declan has since written, produced, recorded, mixed, and released an album, 3 EPs, and 4 singles, also working as a sideman for numerous other artists’ records and live shows such as Black Pumas, Redveil, Henry Threadgill, Cruel Santino, Mavi, Cisco Swank, Khal!l, and many more. Declan has also performed at a number of renowned venues in the US, such as BAM, The Jazz Gallery, Newport Jazz Fest, Symphony Space, Monterey Jazz Fest, and more.
Declan wears many hats, as he is currently the musical assistant for Henry Threadgill and Amina Claudine-Myers. Working on both the clerical and performative sides, Declan has worked closely with Threadgill as a part of “One”, “The Other One”, and “Listen Ship".
McKenna Carpenter, Marketing & Communications Associate
McKenna Carpenter (she/her) is the Marketing and Communications Associate at The Jazz Gallery. Before coming on as a full-time employee, she was part of the first class of TJG interns. Since joining the team, McKenna has worked on archiving 30 years of TJG history and helping to curate the 30th Anniversary Retrospective exhibition. She currently manages the visual gallery exhibitions, is a member of the marketing team and does digital and print media design. McKenna is a graduate of Wagner College and is from San Antonio, Texas.
Mia Pellegrino, Assistant House Manager
Mia Pellegrino (she/her) is the Assistant House Manager at The Jazz Gallery. During our shows Mia can be found in our lounge area, there to assist artists and patrons with whatever they may need. She is also a member of TJG's marketing team and assists in promoting upcoming events through our social channels. Mia is passionate about championing NYC's cultural centers. She is a native New Yorker and graduated from Bard College in 2022.