Board of Directors

A performing jazz and funk drummer and retired nonprofit executive, Glenn has served on the CCC board since 2018. He helped Ray Blue advance CCC's mission for jazz education and performance — raising grants, providing scholarship funds for aspiring young musicians, and bringing jazz to the people at CCC's Riverfront Jazz Festival in Peekskill.

Glenn was President & CEO of Mohonk Preserve, The Seeing Eye, and Dutchess Land Conservancy, and now consults for nonprofit land conservation organizations. He also serves on the board of Teatown Lake Reservation and served on the board of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress for over 10 years, receiving Pattern's "Henry Award for Lifetime Achievement." He holds a Bachelor's from SUNY New Paltz (Alumnus of the Year, 1998) and a Master's from the University of Guelph, Ontario.

An award-winning composer, pianist, songwriter, producer, author, and music educator, Randy's career spans more than four decades. He is the founder of Jazzheads, an independent label dedicated to improvised music and cross-cultural collaboration — and produced the recordings Work and People, featuring Ray Blue.

A Grammy-nominated songwriter, three-time gold record recipient, and four-time Emmy Award winner, Klein's songs have been recorded by Millie Jackson, Candy Staton, Savion Glover, and others. He was commissioned to compose the music for the folk-opera Jubilee with support from Yale's ASCEND Initiative and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Evelyn has a long history of human service and volunteerism — from direct care work with autistic teens in the 1970s, to crisis counseling for abused minors in LA County, to Program Coordinator for the City of Peekskill Youth Bureau, where she facilitated arts programs for at-risk teens.

A CCC board member since 2018, Evelyn has known Ray Blue since childhood — they attended St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Drum Hill Jr. High, and Peekskill High School together. She also serves on the board of the Lincoln Society of Peekskill and is active in several local civic and church organizations. Evelyn holds a B.S. from Wellesley College, graduating magna cum laude.

A proud member and trumpeter with Cross-Cultural Connection's Pro-Am Ensemble for the past ten years, James attended many of Ray Blue's jazz workshops and ensemble performances, and volunteered to help promote the annual CCC Jazz in the Park festival at Peekskill's Riverfront Park.

James is also a fourteen-year member of the Westchester Community Orchestra in White Plains. Outside of music, he is a Licensed Optician working in his family's optical business, Gerlan and Gerlan Optometrists, in White Plains. He resides in Peekskill with his wife Janis.

A seasoned sales and marketing professional of 25 years and the son of Ray Blue, Jason was elected to the CCC board in 2026. In healthcare, he has introduced several new products and services to his region, and for the past several years has opened and grown three separate hospice organizations — leading marketing initiatives and community outreach.

Jason currently serves as an Area Market Manager for Suncrest Hospice in Iowa. He holds a bachelor's degree from St. John's University.

A corporate interior designer, photographer, and public access television producer, director, videographer, and editor, James's connection to CCC began when Ray Blue appeared as a guest on Living Arts in Westchester. Inspired by that experience, James has volunteered his photo and video production services to support CCC programs for more than a decade, and has served as a board member for several years.

James holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame and serves as Director of Architectural Services for the Robert Martin Company. He is the founder of Jhbrooks Photography LLC, a certified drone pilot, and a former board member of IFMA, Hudson Valley Chapter.

A composer, bassist/guitarist, audio engineer, professor, and neuroscientist based in New York City, Tyreek has worked as a session and touring musician across genres — from heavy metal to R&B, pop, experimental jazz, and fusion — and currently tours with Invincible: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson.

As a scientist, his research explores the intersection of music improvisation, cognitive control, and musical structure, published in journals including Psychology of Music and Music Perception. Tyreek has been affiliated with Ray Blue and CCC since 2010, first as a fill-in bassist for the Pro-Am Ensemble, later returning as a clinician. He holds a bachelor's from Berklee College of Music and master's and doctoral degrees from Columbia University, and is an assistant professor of music and neuroscience at St. John's University.