ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS + NEW HIRES ACROSS SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS + NEW HIRES ACROSS SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
Christina Bartko Hired as VP, Accounting & Finance
Haley Montgomery Elevated to Head of Artist Relations & Awards
Steve Mekler Promoted to Senior Director, Creative & Marketing
Jennifer Davis Elevated to Director, Live Events & Production
Karson Leighton Hired as Executive Assistant to CEO, CBO and Operations
(Top Row [L-R]: Christina Bartko, Haley Montgomery, Steve Mekler; Bottom Row, [L-R]: Jennifer Davis, Karson Leighton;
Photo graphic available HERE)
NASHVILLE, TN (February 12, 2025) – The Academy of Country Music® announces promotions and new hires across several departments. Christina Bartko joins as VP, Accounting & Finance; Haley Montgomery has been promoted to Head of Artist Relations & Awards; Steve Mekler has been elevated to Senior Director, Creative & Marketing; Jennifer Davis has been promoted to Director, Live Events & Production; and Karson Leighton is hired as Executive Assistant to CEO, CBO and Operations.
Christina Bartko has been hired as VP, Accounting & Finance. A native of Baltimore, MD, Bartko graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She began her career as an auditor, before earning her CPA license and moving to Nashville to work in the music industry. Prior to joining the Academy, she most recently held positions at Warner Music Group and Live Nation Entertainment.
In her role as VP, Accounting & Finance, Bartko will oversee all accounting and finance functions for the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives. This includes financial strategy, and budgeting to ensure the organization’s fiscal health and mission alignment. Bartko will also manage financial reporting, audits, and internal controls. She reports to Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy, and can be reached HERE.
Haley Montgomery has been promoted to Head of Industry Relations & Awards. Montgomery joined the Academy in 2020, where she most recently served as Director, Industry Relations & Awards. Montgomery previously held a variety of roles across the industry including brand partnerships, merchandise, brand development, touring, and industry relations. She is also a founder of Family Alliance in Music, which provides community and support to members of the industry who currently have families, serve as caretakers, or plan on building a family in the future.
In her role as Head of Artist Relations & Awards, she will oversee the Academy’s artist and industry relations, spearhead internal talent strategy, supervise Academy membership operations, Awards voting and processes, board & governance procedures and more. Montgomery reports to Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy, and can be reached HERE.
Steve Mekler has been elevated to Senior Director, Creative & Marketing. Prior to joining the Academy in 2022 as Director, Brand Marketing & Partnerships, Mekler spent three years serving as Senior Digital Manager at the Country Music Hall of Fame, where he oversaw creative marketing for owned properties and assisted with content strategies for multiplatform marketing campaigns. Previously, he also held positions at L3 Entertainment and BBR Music Group.
In his role as Senior Director, he will oversee all Marketing and Creative initiatives, including the development of integrated marketing campaigns, creative direction, content development, strategy, production, and more. Mekler reports to Gil Beverly, EVP & CBO of the Academy, and can be reached HERE.
Jennifer Davis has been promoted to Director, Live Events & Production. Davis began her career in New York City at Buckley Hall Events, where she planned various non-profit and corporate galas throughout NYC. She then went on to join the special events team at Madison Square Garden, coordinating a portfolio of network television upfronts, the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards, television and film Shoots, NYU graduations, and more at MSG venues. Prior to joining the Academy as Manager, Events, in 2022, she also led VIP & Fan Experience and Events for FirstBank Amphitheater’s inaugural concert season in Franklin, TN.
In her role as Director, Davis will oversee venue and event operations for the Academy of Country Music Awards, ACM Honors, and ACM Lifting Lives events, including talent logistics, partnership fulfillment, red carpet, budgets, AV and more. As lead producer, she will manage event staff as well as vendor and partner relations. She reports to Ben Carter, VP of Live Events & Production and can be reached HERE.
Karson Leighton joins the Academy as Executive Assistant to CEO, CBO and Operations. Born and raised in Schoolcraft, MI, Leighton graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, in May 2024. He previously served as the Finance & Operations Intern at the Academy during the Spring 2024 semester, eventually transitioning to assist the Membership and Industry Relations team in the Fall 2024.
In his role as Executive Assistant to CEO, CBO and Operations, Leighton will liaise between the Academy’s CEO (Damon Whiteside), CBO (Gil Beverly), external relations, and internal department heads, while working to coordinate board, officer, leadership, and committee meetings, manage the CEO’s calendar, and more. Leighton can be reached HERE.