Last week, reports surfaced indicating that NAfME Executive Director Michael Butera made inappropriate and offensive comments during a National Endowment for the Arts summit on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in the Arts. Following those comments, the NAfME Executive Committee placed Mr. Butera on administrative leave, and on Wednesday, he and NAfME agreed to part ways.
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and NAfME have had an ongoing partnership for a number of years, including our membership on the Music Education Policy Roundtable. I am proud to say that Sinfonia is perhaps the most diverse fraternal organization in the world, and was disturbed when I read the reports. Many Sinfonians are also members of NAfME, and I consider our partnership to be an important one for the cause of music in America. I applaud NAfME for taking action, and look forward to our continued relationship.
Fraternally,
Mark R. Lichtenberg
National President
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity
