A new managing director has been named for The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Alan D. Johnson will fill the newly created position as part of a series of structural changes in the organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a news release Friday.
Johnson will assume his new responsibilities at the end of July.
“We feel Alan Johnson’s management experience and his strong interpersonal skills will be instrumental in leading the choir organization to fulfill its mandate to inspire, uplift, and bring others to Christ through music,” President Michael O. Leavitt said in the news release.
The choir announced it was seeking a new managing director last April. The announcement comes a month following the retirement of the choir’s longtime logistics wizard Barry Anderson.
Along with naming Johnson as managing director, the choir also announced a new special adviser to the presidency and plans to add a director of marking and reputation.
Who is Alan Johnson?
- Johnson has worked for church since 2006, most recently as the director of the Museum Division in the Church History Department.
- He has previously served as director of the Church History Library and Collection Divisions, and manager of the church’s Corporate Records Management Program.
- He graduated with a master of history degree from the University of Utah and a master of public administration, as well as a bachelor of science in organizational psychology from Brigham Young University.
- Prior to his church employment, Johnson held management positions with New Electric, Accenture, Novell and the state of Utah.
- Johnson comes with more than 40 years of experience as a musical accompanist, teacher, performer and the leader and a member of a band for which he plays guitar.
- He currently lives in Cedar Hills with his wife, Susan. They are the parents of five children and two grandchildren.
What will the managing director do?
As part of this duties, Johnson will work with senior leaders in other church departments to orchestrate and usher in initiatives announced by President Leavitt and his counselors in February 2022.
Those initiatives include aligning the choir with the church’s mission and missionary efforts, expanding the choir’s digital audience and increasing its worldwide visibility.
New special adviser
As part of the restructuring, Scott Barrick, who has served as the choir’s general manager since November 2001, has been named a special adviser to The Tabernacle Choir presidency.
In this new role, Barrick will assist in the choir’s organizational transition as he prepares for his anticipated retirement at the end of the year.
Barrick will continue with his current duties until they have been appropriately transitioned and communicated to respective teams, the news release said.
Wanted: Director of marketing and reputation
The choir is currently seeking a director of marketing and reputation.
“In making these organizational changes, we recognize that we are building on a strong foundation set by those who have served the choir so diligently in the past and who are doing so now,” Leavitt said. “We are preparing for a future where we can fulfill a prophetic charge to accomplish things the choir has never done before.”