Our Board of Directors

Holli grew up in Shelby County, KY. She started playing piano in fourth grade, and was introduced to the violin in fifth. By sixth grade, she was a violist, the instrument she ultimately fell in love with. During high school, Holli played viola at Shelby County High School, which offered a full orchestra, marching, concert and jazz bands, and a variety of choral experiences at the time. She was also a piano teacher, and played the piano for several choral groups as an accompanist at her church. During the summers, she attended music camps at both Ball State and at Stephen Foster Music Camp, broadening her exposure to other young artists and a wider selection of repertoire. In addition to her musical pursuits, Holli was a National Merit Scholar, Kentucky Junior Miss first runner up, and salutatorian of her graduating class. 

 

Holli cites two high school experiences that changed her life. One was being a Governor’s Scholar at Centre College, where she majored in Music. The second was joining the Louisville Youth Orchestra where she played for several years, ultimately under the direction of Dan Spurlock. These two experiences gave Holli confidence in herself as a student and musician, and broadened her horizons about the possibilities her life held. 

 

Holli attended Miami University, majoring in Business and heavily participating in the music program there after receiving a music scholarship. She was principal violist in the Miami Symphony under the direction of Carmon DeLeon, the conductor for the Cincinnati Ballet. She also played in the Miami University String Quartet, performed in many pit orchestras at both Miami and Wright State University, and played with the Middletown Symphony, a semi-professional orchestra in Middletown, Ohio. Beyond music, she was a Scholar Leader, Board Member/Vice President at the First Miami Student Credit Union, and an officer in her sorority. She spent two summers studying abroad in Japan, which whet her appetite for international travel and cultural exposure.

 

After graduating from Miami, Holli joined Procter & Gamble in their Brand Management Program in Cincinnati, OH. She worked there for 17 years across a range of health, beauty and pet businesses. During her tenure, she gained experience in strategy, marketing, personnel management, team development and coaching. Her final role there was as the Global Marketing Director for P&G’s $1B respiratory brands, which enabled her to travel around the world understanding and serving a wide range of consumer and business needs. After leaving Procter & Gamble, Holli started a private strategy and marketing consulting practice. Her clients have included Dish Network, Danone Companies, Ocean Spray, and Boost Mobile, among many others. She has partnered with these companies to develop advertising strategies, improve agency/client relationships, and train their marketing staff. 

 

Outside of work, Holli kept one foot in the music world, continuing to play with the Middletown Symphony after graduating from college, and working with the Cincinnati Business Volunteers for the Arts. When she and her family relocated to Denver, CO, she played with and was on the Board of Directors with the Arapahoe Philharmonic. Since relocating back to her childhood state in 2020, Holli has been a volunteer with the Kentucky Center for the Arts and plays with and is on the board for the Louisville Civic Orchestra. She joined the Louisville Youth Orchestra Board of Directors in 2023; she is now serving as Board President, and feels like it’s a full-circle moment, contributing back to an organization that shaped her life.

 

On a personal note, Holli is married to her college sweetheart, Erik. They have two adult children, Jackson, who works in the music industry in Nashville, TN, and Kait, who is a Charlotte, NC-based consultant by a day, and a contemporary dancer by night. Holli and Erik love to travel, attend arts presentations of all kinds, are loyal Ohio State Buckeyes fans (Erik hails from Columbus), and love good food.  They share their home with an overly large, extremely happy chocolate Labrador, Winston, and an elusive, quirky cat, Phoebe.