Bluegrass Heritage Foundation

The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the heritage of bluegrass music in America. The Foundation seeks to educate the public about this distinctly American form of music with roots in Irish, Scottish, and English traditional music through educational programs and workshops, public performances of bluegrass music, historic preservation efforts, and other similar programs.

The Foundation is managed by a Board of Directors and a non-voting Advisory Board that provides advice, assistance, and resources to the Foundation. The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation is a non-profit corporation organized under Texas law.

Alan W. Tompkins serves as the President of the Foundation. He is also Vice President and General Counsel of Unity Hunt, Inc., in Dallas where he manages legal matters for the Lamar Hunt family and their affiliated entities. A native of western Kentucky, Alan moved to Texas in 1983 to earn an MBA from SMU. He is licensed as an attorney and a CPA in Texas. He has served on the boards of several charitable organizations including AFI-Dallas International Film Festival, FC Dallas Foundation, Pegasus Theatre, and For The Love Of The Lake Foundation. Alan’s interest in music began in Kentucky at an early age, and he played southern gospel and country music extensively as a teenager. He is an avid bluegrass music fan and an established banjo and acoustic bass player. With Gerald Jones, Alan co-founded the Frisco Bluegrass Festival held at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (2006-07) and Acoustic Music Camp, an instructional institute for acoustic musicians. For more about Alan, see FiveString.com.

Gerald L. Jones, a native Texan, has been involved with the performance, production, and teaching of music for more than 30 years. He's played live or recorded with Jerry Douglas, Mark O’Connor, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Tanya Tucker, Grand Master Fiddle Champion Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor, Hank Thompson, Red Steagall, and many others. He's the editor of Mel Bay’s web magazine Banjo Sessions and is a frequent contributor to Joe Carr’s web magazine Mandolin Sessions. He invented the Acoustic Plus electronic banjo pickup used by Earl Scruggs, Bela Fleck, Alan Munde, Bill Keith, and others. Gerald is a multi-instrumentalist who is proficient on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and fiddle. Gerald co-founded the Frisco Bluegrass Festival and Acoustic Music Camp (AcousticMusicCamp.com), an instructional institute for acoustic musicians. For more about Gerald, see TheGeraldJones.com.

Richard S. Tucker, a resident of Boulder, Colorado, is an arbitrator and a retired partner of the Texas-based law firm of Jackson Walker, LLP. He graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and earned his law degree at SMU. Richard served as the mayor of the Town of Argyle, Texas from 2001-07 and was responsible for the creation of the Argyle Bluegrass Festival, the largest and most successful bluegrass festival in Texas (ArgyleBluegrassFestival.com). Richard also serves as President and a member of the Board of Directors of The Foundation for Bluegrass Music, Inc., a tax-exempt organization dedicated to fostering awareness of bluegrass music with a focus on youth and education. Richard has also been actively involved with organizations including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Symphony Association, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Foundation, and the Planning Commission of the City of Fort Worth.

Clifford G. Fitch is a professional instrument luthier and the founder of Fitch Banjos. A native of East Texas, Cliff has been involved in bluegrass music as a banjo and guitar player for more than 30 years and has played with several bands in the North Texas area. He is also an established lead trumpet player. At his shop in Azle, Texas, Cliff builds profes sional-grade custom banjos and performs instrument set-up and restoration services for some of the top players in the country. Fitch Banjos is also the designated United States custom shop for Recording King Banjos. For more about Cliff, see FitchBanjos.com.

Raleigh W. Newsam is an attorney in Dallas, Texas, where he practices construction, real estate, and intellectual property law. He earned an architecture degree from Cornell University, a master’s degree in management degree from MIT, and a law degree from SMU. Born in New York City, he spent his youth in Long Island, New York and Clarksville, Tennessee. It was in Clarksville that he developed his love and enthusiasm for bluegrass and country music. Raleigh has been active with numerous charitable organizations and currently serves as the President of Dallas Christian Leadership.