Savannah Philharmonic Announces 2021-2022 Board of Directors

SAVANNAH, GA – July 1, 2021 – Kevan Jackson, Susan G. Reilly, John H. Kingston Jr., and John M. Tatum have joined the Savannah Philharmonic Board of Directors. Scott Lauretti will take on another year as Chairman of the Board.

Kevan Jackson has 27 years of experience in Aviation as G650 and GV/G550 Program Director, Senior Customer Program Manager, Aeronautical Engineer and Government/Military Officer. Kevan is currently an Aircraft Programs Director at Gulfstream in Savannah. He graduated from Tuskegee University in 1991 with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. He has completed Leadership, Management and Aircraft Flight/Weapons Control Programs with the U.S. Air Force, the Senior Leadership Development Program at Gulfstream and the Leadership Savannah Program. As an active member of the community, Kevan is the former Vice Chairman of Savannah Greater International Alliance Commission Board and is excited to join the 2021-2022 Board of Directors at the Savannah Philharmonic. 

Susan G. Reilly was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame. Upon graduation, she worked at First National Bank of Chicago and married Tom Reilly. The two moved to London in 2000 where she joined the American Women’s Club of London as the liaison to Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas. They returned to the US in 2003 and moved to The Landings in 2004. Sue served on the board at the Savannah Children’s Choir and spent many years volunteering for their practices and performances. She belongs to The Landlovers Club at The Landings and is a member of the Telfair Academy Guild (TAG) which supports the goals and activities of Telfair Museums through volunteerism. 

John Heddens Kingston Jr. was born and raised in Savannah. He attended Hampden-Sydney College where he played football & majored in Economics with a minor in Rhetoric. Following college, he taught English as a Second Language for a year in Wuhan, China. In 2009, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he began his career in the financial services industry with Northwestern Mutual. John returned to Savannah in 2016 to continue his career as a financial advisor and is very active in the community. He is a current member of the Savannah Country Day Alumni Board, Alzheimer’s Association Planning Committee & Mentor, Society of Colonial Wars and President of the Civitan International of Savannah.

John M. Tatum practiced law in Savannah for 52 years and recently retired as a partner at HunterMaclean. John was a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and was listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Bet-the Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, ERISA Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, and Trusts & Estates Litigation. He was named Lawyer of the Year for 2012 in Bet-the-Company Litigation for Savannah. John graduated with a B.A. and an LL.B. from the University of Georgia. John served as a member of the Lawyer Advisory Committee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He was a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Georgia Bar Foundation, a member of the American Judicature Society and the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and an associate member of American Association for Justice. He also served as general counsel to Savannah Foods & Industries, Inc., on the board of SunTrust Bank of Savannah, CEO Council for the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, as chairman of the board for Union Mission, and as Clerk of Session for First Presbyterian Church. 

“We are thrilled to add such impressive community leaders to our Board of Directors as we embark on the 2021-2022 season” said Board Chair Scott Lauretti. Returning Board members are Bud Green, Staci Donegan, Richard “Dick” Foster, Patricia Clark, Bud Green, Joel (Dr.) Greenberg, Lyon Jemison, Diana Langer, Marek Lewanda, Roger Moss, Daphne Nash, Samir Nikocevic, Terri O’Neil, Kelley B. Parker, and Wim Salien.

The Savannah Philharmonic “Soundtrack of Savannah” is more than simply connecting with our community through music. It’s an open invitation to enjoy music with our friends and neighbors while exploring the unique places, flavors, and events of our region.

The nonprofit’s mission is to be an innovative and influential arts organization that entertains, inspires and builds community throughout the region.

To learn more about the Savannah Philharmonic, please visit savannahphilharmonic.org, email [email protected], or call 912-232-6002.


For media inquiries, please contact Gabby Lauretti at [email protected], or 912-232-6002.