Board of Directors:
Jason D. ‘Diesel’ Hamad, President & Executive Director
As publisher, editor, writer, and photographer at website No Surf Music beginning in 2011, Hamad reviewed scores of albums and live shows and interviewed dozens of musicians, ranging from little known locals to legends like Billy Joe Shaver. Ray Wylie Hubbard once said his “soul is in the right place,”a metaphysical appendage Mr. Hamad was unaware he possessed. While the brand is still used to showcase live music photography, Hamad shuttered the No Surf Music website during the COVID pandemic when concerts came to a halt and decided not to reopen thereafter.
No Surf House is a project he conceived early in his journalistic endeavors when he saw how important short-term lodging was to touring musicians and how the balance of affordability and livability was always a challenge.
Alan Pendergrass, Treasurer
A longtime friend and frequent reluctant collaborator of Jason D. ‘Diesel’ Hamad, Alan Pendergrass is a healthcare entrepreneur who less-than-secretly wishes he were fronting a so-so cover band with an obscure and self-indulgent setlist.
Fate and (utter) lack of talent have instead conspired to place him on a more “traditional” career path than his nonprofit coconspirator, one which pigeonholes him neatly into the “suit” role. A pharmacist by training, Pendergrass spent 9 years helping build and grow a healthcare IT company which was later acquired in Ohio’s largest-ever technology exit. His expertise is in analytics and finance, and he spends his days working on a new entrepreneurial healthcare venture. He spends his nights caring for his children and scrolling through TikTok, but in his heart, to quote the inimitable Joe Dirt, he’s “a rocker, man, through and through.”
Jane McMullen, Secretary
The last time Alan, Diesel, and Jane collaborated, Alan made Jane disappear from a wooden chest built in Diesel’s garage for the Hudson High School Rockfest. She successfully reappeared and is ready to create new magic with the old crew.
Jane has spent the majority of her career in the Hospitality industry, starting with Disney Cruise Line and Marriott Vacations Worldwide, focusing on Family Entertainment, Events, and Food & Beverage. After several years of work and travel, Jane returned to NE Ohio and applied her skillset within a variety of industries and roles including Director of Operations, Marketing, and Workforce Strategy, most recently serving as an Operations Consultant for a local nonprofit organization. Jane remains an active member of the Kent State University Hospitality & Event Management Advisory Board. She resides in Aurora with her husband, Glenn, and children, Reid & Sloane.
Advisory Board:
Musician Advisory Committee
G. S. Harper – NE-Ohio-based professional musician
Brent Kirby – NE-Ohio-based professional musician
Kate Kooser – NE-Ohio-based professional musician
Daphne Parker Powell – Touring professional musician