FlightGest and Noverant, two Raleigh-based firms owned by Frank and Ann Gozzo, have underwritten Carolina Performing Arts’ 2007-08 Jazz Series with a gift of cash and in-kind support totaling $60,000.
When multiple Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves takes the stage at Memorial Hall on Sunday (Oct. 7) at 7:30 p.m., she will launch the third year of Carolina Performing Arts’ Jazz Series at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Her concert will also launch Carolina Performing Arts’ corporate sponsorship program with the announcement that FlightGest and Noverant, two Raleigh-based firms owned by Frank and Ann Gozzo, have underwritten the 2007-08 Jazz Series with a gift of cash and in-kind support totaling $60,000. The donation qualifies the Gozzos for the Corporate Chairman’s Circle, the top level of Carolina Performing Arts’ new sponsorship program.
In announcing the sponsorship, Emil Kang, UNC’s executive director for the arts, highlighted the leadership demonstrated by the Gozzo gift.
“We are enormously grateful to Frank and Ann,” he said. “They fully understand that arts organizations need community support in order to survive and thrive.
“That our first corporate sponsor has chosen to support us at the top level is humbling and gratifying, particularly in view of the fact that we are only in our third year of existence. We are thrilled with this extraordinary partnership.”
The Gozzos are new donors to Carolina, and their “generosity has made an important statement about their commitment to the arts, education and the community,” Kang said.
Dr. Gozzo, who held senior executive roles at IBM and Bell & Howell before launching a Raleigh-based portfolio of privately held businesses, has been a staunch supporter of education as well as served in the field. His posts in education have included adjunct faculty member at the State University of New York, guest lecturer at universities and research centers, and board chair of Ravenscroft School in Raleigh.
“Throughout my career, I have enjoyed giving back to the community by supporting educational institutions and, in particular, to those unique programs that can truly elevate students to reach new heights,” Gozzo said. “It’s an honor to support the arts program at Carolina. I look forward to seeing the genuine impact it will have on this great community.”
FlightGest is a leading aircraft management, charter and flight training operation primarily serving the eastern United States. FlightGest has taken a leadership role in working with agencies, including the N.C. Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and local airport authorities on issues ranging from safety to business practices to security. Charter services are provided through FlightGest Aviation, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of FlightGest.
Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., Noverant is a leading provider of training software and services for small to mid-size companies. Originally focused on industries governed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company now has expanded technology that provides web-based solutions for a variety of industries including aviation, legal, biomedical, pharmaceutical, board governance and education. The company’s software and service offerings aim to improve the effectiveness and reduce the cost of training, while ensuring regulatory compliance for electronic signature, management and archival of critical records.
Tickets for Dianne Reeves may be purchased online at www.carolinaperformingarts.org, calling (919) 843-3333 or going to the Memorial Hall Box Office on Cameron Avenue on the UNC campus. The office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets are $30-60; $10 for Carolina students.
Other performances in the 2007-08 Carolina Performing Arts Jazz Series are SFJAZZ Collective on March 1 and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba on March 29. Tickets for these and all other performances in the 2007-08 Carolina Performing Arts season also are on sale now.
Carolina Performing Arts contact: Priscilla Bratcher, (919) 843-3307, priscilla_bratcher@unc.edu
Office of University Development contact: Scott Ragland, 919-962-0027, scott_ragland@unc.edu