Events

Lunch will be a salad bar.  $12.50 in advance and $15.00 at the door.

Gene Dobbs Bradford joined Savannah Music Festival as Executive Director of the Savannah in February 2022. He previously served as the President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis for 23 years, where he led an $8.5 million capital campaign as well as the expansion of education and outreach programs reaching more than 200,000 students. Before his tenure with Jazz St. Louis, Gene served as the Director of Operations for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and as the Production Manager for the Honolulu Symphony.

Known for his award-winning collaborations with other arts institutions, his collaboration with Opera Theatre of St. Louis resulted in the commissioning and production of two operas; Champion in 2013, and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in the fall of 2021, making history as the first opera written by an African-American to ever be presented at The Met.

Gene has received many honors over the years, including a University of Rochester/Eastman School of Music’s Centennial Award, Jazz Journalist Association’s Jazz Hero Award, St. Louis Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts, Excellence in Leadership and Civic Engagement Award and Inclusive Leadership Award. He has also been named the Non-profit Executive of the Year by the St. Louis American Foundation, honored as one of the Most Influential People in St. Louis and received a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from the Webster Groves Arts Commission.

Gene earned a bachelor’s degree in Music from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester and an MBA from Washington University. As a student at Eastman, Gene developed a passion for playing blues harmonica, which he still plays today. As a harmonica player, he has performed with leading artists such as Jon Batiste, Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, Cedric Burnside and Cyrus Chestnut. Gene and his wife, Maria, have one daughter, Mireille.

Our 2022-2023 Annual Service Partner, Brightside Child and Family Advocacy collects and delivers holiday gifts for the families in the program. Join us as we wrap the gifts and sort the items for distribution. (Rapping is optional)

This is a family-friendly event.

The presents will be wrapped, now we need help taking them outside to the volunteers for delivery. 

The presents will be wrapped, now we need help taking them outside to the volunteers for delivery. 

Director Sarhatt attended Troy State University, Troy Alabama. In 1984 he received a B.S in Accounting from the university. Following his graduation he worked for a Public accounting firm from 1985 to 1987. In July of 1987 Director Sarhatt accepted a position with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Special Agent. Director Sarhatt was assigned to the Detroit office for 13 years where he worked in two enforcement groups investigating numerous drug organizations. Director Sarhatt was assigned to Detroit Office until August of 2000 when he accepting a position at the DEA Office of training in Quantico, Virginia, as an instructor.

During his tenure at the Office of Training, Director Sarhatt was assigned to the Practical Application Unit where he was responsible for ensuring that all aspects of training (legal, firearms, raids, clandestine lab, wire-tapping, report writing, undercover operations, affidavit preparation, policies and procedures, operational planning, interviewing, cooperative source management, and surveillance) were uniformly presented and applied to form a cohesive program.

In August of 2003, Director Sarhatt transferred to the DEA Savannah Resident Office where he led investigations of major narcotic offenses.

In 2013, Director Sarhatt was promoted and transferred to the DEA Knoxville Resident Office as the enforcement Group Supervisor, in 2016 he was again promoted to the Resident Agent in Charge of the Knoxville Resident Office. As the Resident Agent in Charge (RAC) his responsibilities encompass the daily enforcement and administrative operations covering 24 counties in Eastern Tennessee. After 31 years of service Director Sarhatt reached mandatory retirement age and retired in May 2018.

In October of 2019 Director Sarhatt accepted his current position as the Director of Chatham-Savannah County Counter Narcotic Team (CNT). As the Director he oversees a department of 50 individuals, 43 of which are sworn agents from 7 different local and county agencies, and 2 Assistant District Attorneys. These individuals up make three enforcement groups (Major Case Unit and Two Tactical Teams), an Intelligence Unit, Technical Support Unit and administrative staff. CNT’s Enforcement and Intelligence capabilities rival that of their federal law enforcement partners.

Director Sarhatt is married to his wife Cherie for 26 years and they have three children Ashley, Kyle and Andrea.

Derek and Jeff will be speaking on the philosophy of, and progress towards, the implementation of East Savannah United, a new nonprofit aimed at transforming Hitch Village, Blackshear and adjacent Eastside neighborhoods through quality cradle-to-college education, mixed income housing and community health/wellness.

Jeff is the Board Chair of East Savannah United and the head of Kole Investment Co. and formerly

the Pres. of Kole Management Co., an apartment and distribution warehouse management and investment company.

I’m a past Board Chair of United Way of the Coastal Empire, Senior Citizens Inc., the Jewish Educational Alliance, the Savannah Apartment

Assn. and the Georgia Apartment Assn.

Derek is State Representative Derek Mallow represents the citizens of House District 163, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2020. Rep. Mallow was born in Savannah to the late William John Mallow and Ruby Bonds. His father died when he was five years old by committing suicide. He was raised by his grandmother, who instilled in him the values of hard work, dedication, discipline and commitment. She later made sure he joined a local Cub Scout Pack 210 meeting at the Historic Garvin Temple. He learned what it meant to have someone mentor you through life by joining Cub Scouts and later joined Boy Scout Troop 210, which taught him the importance of civics and living to always serve other people. Rep. Mallow has served with the Boy Scouts of America for more than 13 years. He is currently a field director with the organization, and he also previously served as the organization’s senior district executive. Through his service, he has created programs across his district, including programs in many public housing communities. In 2007, he helped someone in his House district earn an Eagle Scout title. He has also been an advocate for workforce development programs throughout the City of Savannah. He is a member of a national service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega; the 100 Black Men of Savannah; and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Tau Beta Sigma Chapter. Rep. Mallow is a graduate of Jenkins High School in Savannah, as well as Asbury University in Wilkmore, Kentucky, where he majored in leadership & ministry. He also has a Master of Public Administration from Savannah State University. While Rep. Mallow did not have a father growing up, he had a village that helping him every step of the way. He attended the United House of Prayer for all People, “The Savannah Mother House,” when he was a child. Currently, he is the executive minister of First Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church located in historic downtown Savannah.