MusiCares Promotes Theresa Wolters to Executive Director: ‘She Strengthens Every Story With Facts’

MusiCares has named Theresa Wolters as its new executive director, three months after its previous executive director, Laura Segura, left the company. Wolters became interim executive director in May, after having served as MusiCares’ vp of health & human services since 2022.

“Theresa embodies the spirit of MusiCares,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares, said in a statement. “She approaches her work with empathy and clarity, and she strengthens every story with facts that show why our work matters. Her leadership ensures that music professionals will continue to have access to the care and support they need — recognizing that financial struggles, health concerns and mental health challenges are often deeply connected.”

Wolters brings more than two decades of global health and humanitarian leadership to the role. At the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, she helped shape global strategies that delivered lifesaving services to tens of millions of people affected by HIV and other infectious diseases. As a founding employee of Millennium Promise, she was integral to launching the Millennium Villages Project. Later, with the International Medical Corps, she directed health and refugee programs across five African countries.

“Every day, MusiCares has a life-changing, and often lifesaving, impact on music professionals,” Wolters said in a statement. “For 35 years, MusiCares has been driven by compassion and a relentless focus on solving the big challenges facing our community. I am truly privileged to work alongside such an outstanding team of committed professionals and know MusiCares will continually rise to meet the needs of those we serve.”

Segura and Wolters co-penned a guest column for Billboard, “Health Insurance Isn’t Enough — Music Also Needs a Financial Safety Net,” published in March. Segura was named executive director at MusiCares in 2020, after serving as vp of membership and industry relations at the Recording Academy.

MusiCares, founded by the Recording Academy in 1989, provides a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community. The U.S. based, independent 501(c)(3) charity offers financial grant programs, support resources and crisis relief.