The Charlotte Music Awards has a Board of Directors that is directly involved with the direction and promotion of the program’s activities. The current Board members are as follows:
Jeffrey Cheen
Jeffrey Cheen has spent more than 40 years in the music business. He started his career as national promotion director for Bill Cosby’s Tetragrammaton Records, with a list of clients that included Deep Purple, Joan Rivers and Tiny Tim. He then helmed Mercury Records’ Hollywood office before managing Capitol Records’ Rock A&R Department. Subsequently, he headed Far Out Music and Publishing’s management division where he guided the careers of War, Ronnie Laws, Funkadelic and Rick James.
Jeffrey partnered with Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and the L.A. Forum, to present concerts and TV productions. He also produced all the entertainment at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City for three years. Jeffrey then moved his focus to the emerging Asian market, producing the Pacific Rim Festival in Los Angeles and serving as a consultant to the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Culture and the Australian government’s Ausmusic. Jeffrey recently served as vice president of business development for B.B. King’s Blues Clubs, overseeing worldwide corporate licensing and heading the company’s record label. Cheen served as a consultant to the LA Music Awards and the Hollywood Fame Awards. Currently, Cheen serves as an advisor to the Hollywood Music In Media Awards and the Charlotte Music Awards is a sister organization to the HMMA.
Nancy Carter
Charlotte City Council District 5 Representative
Nancy Carter is serving her fourth term as a City Council member. Nancy serves as vice chair of the Budget Council Committee and is a member of the Transportation and Economic Development and Planning committees. In addition, she is the Council Representative to the Arts and Science Council. Nancy has earned a Silver Leadership Achievement Certificate from the National League of Cities. In addition to her public service, she serves on the Steering Committee of the Charlotte CROP Walk and the Boards of Smart Start, the Arts & Science Council, ArtsTeach, the Latino Pathways Advisory Committee and the Police Athletic League. A longtime music fan, Nancy is enthusiastic about the potential for the Charlotte Music Awards.
Shirley Fulton
President, Charlotte Jazz Society; former Superior Court Judge
The Honorable Shirley Fulton, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Charlotte School of Law, is currently a partner in the law firm Tin, Fulton, Greene and Owen. Before joining the new firm in November 2004, she was with Helms, Henderson and Fulton, P.A., where she had been practicing since her retirement from the N.C. Superior Court. She served in the court system for more than 20 years. Judge Fulton has received numerous professional and community awards. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners and North Carolina Women Executives. In her spare time, Judge Fulton serves as president of the Charlotte Jazz Society.
