Recording Academy Promotions

THEY'D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY: The Recording Academy has announced promotions of several key executives. Most recently, Bill Freimuth has been upped to SVP Awards and Gaetano Frizzi has been named Chief Human Resources Officer. These promotions follow those of three other key NARAS staffers: Branden Chapman was upped to Executive in Charge of Production & Chief Business Development Officer; Rick Engdahl has been named Chief Information Officer; and Daryl Friedman has been dubbed Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer. All five will continue to report to President/CEO Neil Portnow, who thanked these members of his "extraordinary team" in a statement, adding that much of the Academy's growth during his tenure "can be be attributed to the efforts of these five exceptional executives." In other personnel news, UMPG security staffer Rodney "Skunkweed" Torfelson has been promoted to Vice President in Charge of Funyon Runs. (12/23a)