Independent music entrepreneur Peter Shapiro has been named our Chair of the Board of Directors. Shapiro has been a member of our board of directors since the organization was formed in 2004. He begins a four-year term as board chair just as the ramp-up for the 2020 Presidential election begins.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help recruit the next generation of voters and political leaders,” Shapiro said. “HeadCount is one of the leading youth-oriented political engagement organizations in America, so becoming Chair of the Board is a great honor and responsibility. I look forward to helping push things to the next level.”
Shapiro’s eclectic career path has encompassed a range of celebrated projects, from operating the iconic rock club Wetlands Preserve in New York City to opening multiple Brooklyn Bowls and the restoration of Port Chester, NY’s Capitol Theatre. In July 2015, Shapiro created Fare Thee Well, Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead.
HeadCount has registered nearly 600,000 voters at concerts and online, and has more than 30,000 volunteers nationwide. Those volunteers can currently be seen registering voters on Ariana Grande’s Sweetener tour as well as tours by Billie Eilish, Death Cab for Cutie, and Dave Matthews Band. This June, we set an organization-record, registering close to 1,400 voters in just one weekend at Bonnaroo.
Our goal is to register another 200,000 voters by next November and help turn out one million young voters by providing information and election reminders. We also manages “Participation Row” activism villages on the current Dead & Company tour and the upcoming LOCKN’ Festival, which is produced by Shapiro.
HeadCount’s Chair position had been shared by co-founders Marc Brownstein, bass player of the electronic rock band The Disco Biscuits, and former journalist Andy Bernstein, who is the organization’s executive director.
“It’s an honor to pass the reins to my friend of more than 20 years,” said Brownstein, who remains a member of the HeadCount Board of Directors and will now have the title of “Founder, Chairman Emeritus.”
Bernstein, who has been executive director since 2008, added that “Collaborations with Pete Shapiro have always been integral to how HeadCount achieves its mission. With Pete now in the Chair role, we will tap into both his creativity and his vast professional network like never before.”
The HeadCount Board of Directors also includes Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, John McCrea of CAKE, Kam Franklin of the Suffers, TicketFly Founder Andrew Dreskin, AEG Live promoter Don Strasburg, and former White House official Alyssa Mastromonaco, among others.