KEYS announces new Executive Director, Karen Cobham - Founder Rob Silvan to become Artistic Director

The Board of Directors is thrilled to announce that Karen Cobham will become the next Executive Director of KEYS on June 20th.

Ms. Cobham will guide KEYS in its mission to provide free music lessons and performance opportunities to under-resourced students of Bridgeport.

Rob Silvan, who founded KEYS in 2004 and is the current Executive Director, will become the Artistic Director.

According to Board Chair, Russ Cooper: “Karen is a passionate and motivated individual who will lead KEYS in the next phase of our growth. She will increase our fundraising, expand our presence in the Bridgeport community, and ensure that the needed infrastructure is in place to support future program needs.”

Ms. Cobham has spent most of her working career with nonprofit organizations. Earlier in her career, she worked as an administrator for academic institutions. Within the past 6 years, she found her passion in philanthropy to support under-resourced kids, working as a senior leader in development to create a culture of authentic engagement and meaningful stewardship.

Most recently, she held the title of Director of Development at Covenant House Pennsylvania, an organization that builds a bridge to hope for young people experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking. There she led a diverse revenue-generating development program with an operating budget of over $6 million annually.  Ms. Cobham earned a Master of Science in Human Capital and Leadership Management and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management from New York University. Additionally, she holds a certificate in Nonprofit Leadership Management from LaSalle University.

The Board is delighted that KEYS Founder Rob Silvan will continue with KEYS as Artistic Director.  In that role, he will be responsible for the program’s pedagogy, the teacher-student-family relationship, and the overall quality of instruction and performance. Karen and Rob, along with Assistant Executive Director, Laurie Bradbury and Marketing and Communications Director, Jen Bartlett, form a team that will elevate KEYS’s profile in Bridgeport and expand their student reach and financial base for the future.

KEYS is the only organization in Bridgeport that works on-site in public schools giving free one-to-one music lessons to students during the school day. KEYS also provides instruments for students to use while enrolled in the program. Over the years, the program has expanded its offerings to include Saturday group ensembles in band, chorus, jazz, and orchestra as well as summer camps.