Meet the Staff

Chris guides the overall strategic direction and operation of PDX Jazz, providing expertise in nonprofit arts management, sales and marketing, ticketing, venue operations, event production, business development, sponsorship, fundraising and arts education.

Prior to joining PDX Jazz, Chris served as Managing Director of Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA. His background includes developing business and operating plans for new performing arts facilities including AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, TX, and Marion Oliver McCaw Hall and Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center in Seattle, WA; the later where he positioned KeyArena as the number one concert venue on the West Coast for three consecutive years. Additionally, he directed regional marketing and publicity for Bill Graham Presents-Live Nation in the Pacific Northwest, and managed national promotion and marketing at Ticketmaster.

Chris has served as an officer on several arts and education based Boards and adjudicated at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business Executive Leadership Program, completed studies at Stanford University Nonprofit Management Institute and holds a B.A. in Music and Business Administration from the University of North Texas.

Lucoff began his career in jazz in 1983 as publicist for the Playboy Jazz Festival, and moved to New York in 1984 to join Peter Levinson Communications. In 1985, Lucoff became National Director of Publicity for the jazz division of MCA Records. In 1988, he formed DL Media, a major jazz PR and marketing firm with offices in New York and Philadelphia and has represented such record labels as Blue Note Records, Mosaic, Justin Time, ECM, RCA Victor, Marsalis Music, Mack Avenue, Warner Bros., Verve, Concord Music Group and Columbia Records. DL Media has guided the careers of such esteemed artists as Branford, Wynton and Ellis Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Abby Lincoln, Max Roach, Dianne Reeves, Al Green, Bruce Hornsby, Derek Trucks, Charles Lloyd, Marian McPartland, and Willie Nelson among others.

Kim has been an educator for nearly two decades working as a classroom teacher, family enrichment coordinator and curriculum developer. She is also the founder and lead educator of Creative Partners Curriculum, a Portland-based educational consulting firm specializing in family engagement programming. When she isn’t working on education stuff, she is likely out running the streets of Portland training for her next marathon. Kim’s love of jazz began when her daughter was playing saxophone in award-winning student jazz ensembles. She looks forward to sharing her passion for education and her experience partnering with community members to help advance the education objectives and impact of PDX Jazz.

Alex Donovan is a proud West Virginia native who migrated to Oregon in 2006 and joined the PDX Jazz family shortly thereafter. His early production experience began at Marshall University’s WMUL FM radio station as a DJ and Jazz Producer. He also volunteered as a Stage Hand for Mountain Stage, a multiple-act, live music show recorded for NPR. In between finishing his BA in Communication, he studied audio engineering at the Recording Workshop in central Ohio. His time away from PDX Jazz is spent traveling all over North America for the day job, exploring Portland with family, playing the drums, and spinning records.

Allison brings years of event booking, production, promotions and operations experience to PDX Jazz. She has been an enthusiastic volunteer for PDX Jazz Festival for several years and is thrilled to share her professional talents to the staff of PDX Jazz.

A native Oregonian with a life-long love of live music and the arts, her background includes 12 years with McMenamins as a talent buyer, ticketing specialist and marketing manager. Prior to McMenamins, she was the program manager and house manager of the C.C.P.A. WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon. In addition to her role with PDX Jazz, Allison contributes her talents to select events in the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles and Hawaii.