James Clements joins Traverse City Philharmonic as Marketing and Public Relations Manager, bringing a diverse background in music, arts administration, education, communications, and nonprofit leadership. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Dearborn Symphony, where he led the organization through a period of growth and focused on strengthening operational efficiency and its connection with audiences, donors, musicians, and the community.
Before joining Dearborn Symphony, James ran the education and community engagement initiatives at Palm Beach Opera, where he developed programs designed to connect people of all ages with the performing arts. His career in the arts began in music and creative arts leadership and has included work in education, nonprofit administration, radio broadcasting, commercial production, and community engagement. A lifelong musician, James is passionate about using communication and storytelling to connect people with the many ways an arts organization can enrich their lives.
James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Speech through the education program at Concordia University Ann Arbor and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky. He also studied video production at Specs Howard School of Media Arts. Across his career, he has found that the best work happens when people bring their individual talents and perspectives together around a shared purpose.
A longtime visitor of the Traverse City area, James has been coming to Northwest Michigan since childhood and has continued to return every year to visit family and enjoy the region. He and his wife, Brigette, are excited to make the area home, with their pup Oliver already looking forward to exploring the region’s wineries, trails, and year-round offerings.