Thea D. Cook Email Address

Executive Assistant

SAGE is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. SAGE has pioneered programs and services for the aging LGBT community, provided technical assistance and training to expand opportunities for LGBT older people across the country, and provided a national voice on LGBT aging issues. In 2005, SAGE became the first official LGBT delegate at the White House Conference on Aging. In 2010, SAGE was awarded a three-year $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration on Aging to seed the creation of the nation's only National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.

An arts and non-profit manager, academic researcher, instructor, and writer with lifelong obsessions with classical vocal music, writing, and chess. I combine strategic thinking skills, adventuresome and creative energy and insatiable curiosity. In addition, I have substantial business administration and management skills honed in both for-profit and non-profit settings. Nonprofit Experience I have substantial experience in the nonprofit, legal, and business sectors. My recent position at SAGE was a director position supervising operations of a large nonprofit senior center with a staff of seven, including the planning of over 100 monthly arts and culture events in eight program spaces. Classical Vocal Music/Musicology Consultant My musical expertise is in the Italian and French vocal repertory of the 19th and early 20th centuries. With an intuitive ability to match music with voices, and to develop varied and interesting programs, I have curated and produced numerous classical vocal recitals and opera productions. I am available for research projects, historical consultation, program notes, lectures, and recital programming. The skills I developed in the business sector have been invaluable as a project manager working on longer-term recitals and opera productions. . Writer and Tutor I am an experienced tournament chess player, and chess teacher. I am a former member of the US Women's Top 100 list, I have also taught introductory chess classes and worked with individual students. I am a published classical music critic and have written historical musicology articles based on original research. I have substantial experience with academic writing and have taught predicate and propositional logic, critical thinking, and research writing at the college level. As part of my MA degree I co-wrote a workable business plan, produced strategic analyses for arts organisations, and wrote numerous research papers.