Felice Mancini – President and CEO
For the past 34 years, Ms. Mancini has worked in the non-profit sector, and completed the certificate program in Fundraising and Non-Profit Management at UCLA before joining The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation in 1998. Felice began singing professionally at age 15 and studied music at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. For five years, Felice was involved with the production of Disney’s Young Musician’s Symphony Orchestra and managed their summer music camp in Los Angeles. A current member of ASCAP, Felice co-manages the vast catalogue of music created by her father, composer Henry Mancini. In 2002, Felice received the Partnership of Professionals Award for her leadership in music education advocacy by the National Association of Music Education, and in 2006 received the Music for Life Award from NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants. In 2007, Felice was commended for outstanding community service for the benefit of citizens of Los Angeles County and in 2010 she received the Don Johnson Music Industry Service Award from the publishers of Musical Merchandise Review. In October 2016 Felice accepted the prestigious National Arts Education Award from Americans for the Arts, for the foundation’s 20 years of service to music education in our schools.
Tricia Williams – Incoming President and CEO
Prior to transitioning to Incoming President and CEO in 2023, Tricia Williams served as MHOF’s Program Director for 24 years where she supervised and implemented all aspects of the program including the donation of musical instruments to schools, Music Rising and Holland’s Heroes, a group of dedicated music and arts directors representing school districts across the nation. In 2017, Tricia created the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation’s Music (and Arts) Education District Support Services® (MEDSS), a revolutionary districtwide assessment and consulting service that utilizes data and teacher voices leading to systemic change by removing barriers in order for all interested students to have access to quality, sequential and sustainable music and arts education. To date, districts have used MEDSS results to secure over $14M in new music and arts funding, hire additional teachers, implement new programs, remove barriers for student access and to provide instruments, classroom supplies, teacher professional development and numerous other materials and resources to best support teacher and student needs. A Berklee College of Music graduate with Percussion Performance and Music Business/Management Bachelor degrees, Tricia was awarded scholarships from Vic Firth, Inc., the Eubie Blake Scholarship Fund and the Berklee College of Music U.S. Scholarship Tour. She performed with the Boston Chamber Ensemble, Brookline Symphony, American Repertory Theatre, New England Brass Band, Disney Grammy Collegiate Orchestra and with former Frank Zappa guitarist Mike Keneally. In 2007, she was awarded for outstanding community service from the City of Los Angeles. Through a highly selective international process, Tricia was acknowledged by American Express as a leader in the nonprofit sector and selected for the American Express Leadership Academy held in New York City in 2017.
Todd Shipley – Program Director
On August 1, 2023, Todd Shipley joined the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation as the next Program Director. He guides and administers the foundation’s programs, including musical instrument granting, the Music Rising disaster relief program, and the Music (and Arts) Education District Support Services. Most recently, Todd served as the Director of Arts Education at the Tennessee Department of Education, earning recognition as a state a national arts education leader. Previously, Todd served as a middle and high school band director and music teacher. He was a recipient of the inaugural CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence award in 2016 and was named a Metro Nashville Public Schools Blue Ribbon Teacher in 2018. He is regarded as a regional and national arts education leader serving in several arts professional learning and public interest organizations and is a Past President of State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE), the national organization representing those persons at state education agencies who are responsible for arts education. He is also a board member of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and ArtsEd Tennessee, an arts education advocacy coalition.