(NEWARK, NJ) -- WBGO, Newark Public Radio, begins its new fiscal year with three new Community Advisory Board Members (Brenda Baulkman, Peter Kyriacopoulo, and Chris Daniel), two new Board of Trustees members (Tara Dowdell and Michael Ostroff) along with two new Board appointments (Dr. Jordan Garrison and Jon Harold Dutton).

Tara Dowdell was elected as the new Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. Ms. Dowdell, who has served on the Board for a year, is the founder and President of TDG Speakers and Tara Dowdell Group, a marketing and strategic communications firm driven by a passion for helping socially conscious organizations and businesses grow. In addition to her consulting practice, Dowdell is a respected television commentator and speaker.

She appears regularly on MSNBC, CNN, and PIX11 News where she provides progressive insight and analysis on a range of political, government, and business topics.

Michael Ostroff, who has been a WBGO Trustee for several years was elected as the new Vice Secretary during the September Board meeting. Mr. Ostroff is the founder and president of The Ostroff Group (TOG), a national consulting firm with offices in Florida and New York that works exclusively with domestic and global non-profit organizations to help them achieve their organizational and philanthropic goals.

Ostroff's firm has an extensive track record of success working with a broad range of clients in the cultural, educational, health care, human service and Jewish communal fields. He has played leadership roles in campaigns that have collectively raised in excess of $1 billion.

WBGO welcomes Dr. Jordan Garrison as a new member of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Garrison, MD is a Board Certified General, Bariatric and Vascular Surgeon with over 29 years of experience. Dr. Garrison completed his undergraduate studies at Lehigh University, where he is still actively involved, participating in a Visiting Lecture series on The Ethics of Surgical Diseases and the Changing Economic Dynamic of Medicine. He serves as a mentor to students interested in pursuing a career in medicine and is extremely active in the recruitment and retention of students of color to the university.

Jon Harold Dutton, another new addition to the Board of Trustees, is the Founder and President of The Cavalcade Group, a boutique family office and alternative investment firm. His experience covers a wide range of industries including retail, manufacturing, energy, aerospace, telecommunications, and financial services.

Throughout his years in the Tri-State Area, Jon has been active in a range of civic and philanthropic organizations including Futures and Options, Minds Matter NYC, and Hudson River Community Sailing. Jon has an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Industrial Engineering from The University of Oklahoma.

WBGO is also pleased to welcome three new Community Advisory Board members: Brenda Baulkman (New York City) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has volunteered at the station; Peter Kyriacopoulos, (Bethesda, MD - our first our of area member) is a federal advocate with 50 years of experience including facilitating federal funding for public health; and Chris Daniel (Tinton Falls, NJ) is a well-known documentary filmmaker who produced the The WBGO Story, Bright Moments from Newark to the World.

WBGO is a publicly-supported cultural institution that preserves and promotes jazz, blues, Latin jazz and classic rhythm & blues. From its home base of Newark, New Jersey, public radio station WBGO has long been an anchor institution in community engagement through its music and news programming, live performances and partnerships. WBGO reaches a diverse audience from its broadcast location in America's number one media market, the New York/New Jersey metro area. Through programs such as Jazz Night in America, produced in partnership with NPR and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the organization’s reach extends to millions more across the country, and around the globe through WBGO.org and the WBGO mobile app and social media plus Facebook Live broadcasts. WBGO is broadcast at 88.3 FM in the NY/New Jersey area and may be streamed from WBGO.org.