Dear fellow Local 14 members,
It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that Local 14 President Emeritus Neil Brown passed away on Friday, August 7.
Neil was a longtime pianist-member, Secretary/Treasurer, President of Local 14, and when I became President, he graciously volunteered to come back from retirement as Secretary/Treasurer.
On a personal level, I became friends with Neil through playing gigs, but he became a mentor to me when I became vice-president and then president. Besides showing me the ropes in dealing with the AFM, he taught me the importance of leading through consensus, and bringing people with varied backgrounds and opinions to be on the same page.
He will be missed by many. Neil’s obituary can be seen here:
https://www.newcomeralbany.com/Obituary/187781/Neil-Brown-Jr/Albany-NY
In solidarity,
John Van Voris
President of our Albany Musicians’ Association