Drew Buchholz
Director of External Relations

As Director of External Relations, Drew Buchholz will work with outside organizations to promote cooperation towards shared goals. He will also establish a voice for the arts in Lansing and Washington D.C. Before joining Interlochen, he worked with ArtsServe to establish the first statewide arts coalition to work within state government on behalf of arts funding. Buchholz is a graduate of Michigan State University with degrees in political science and a concentration in law and society.

Heather Lockwood Clark
Regional Advancement Officer

Heather Clark (IAC 68) is responsible for advancing relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors of Interlochen Presents and working with underwriters of Interlochen Public Radio. She grew up in the Grand Traverse Region and received a bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of Michigan. For the past 12 years, she worked in the Traverse City Area as a real estate broker. Previously, she spent nine years in Los Angeles working in banking and as a financial and operations principal in a securities firm. She has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, where she focused on strategic planning and fundraising.

Derek Kwan
Director of Interlochen Presents

Derek Kwan will oversee Interlochen Presents, the year-round concert and presentations series. Previously, Derek was the Associate Director of Programming and Concert Operations at Jazz at Lincoln Center.He has production credits on more than 70 jazz and world music albums, including the 2006 Grammy and Latin Grammy winning project, Bebo de Cuba. He is a saxophonist and flutist and holds a bachelor’s degree in music and political science from Duke University and a master’s in business administration from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin.

Josh Merchant
Assistant Vice President of Advancement

Josh Merchant will focus his efforts on major gifts and corporate and foundation relations in the Central States and West Coast regions. He will also oversee the Interlochen Fund and advancement operations. Before coming to Interlochen, he was senior director of development for the College of Business Administration at Central Michigan University. Josh earned a bachelor’s degree from Albion College and a master’s from Michigan State University. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Western Michigan University.

Patti Tolo
Director of Annual Giving

Patti Tolo joined the Advancement team as director of annual giving and will manage efforts to raise money for scholarships for Camp and Academy students. Her background in development spans over twenty years and includes work with the American Heart Association, the Arthritis Foundation, and most recently, the University of Minnesota as the development director for the School of Fine Arts. Patti’s educational background includes undergraduate work in education and a graduate degree in philanthropy and development.

Matthew Wiliford
Director of the College of Creative Arts

Matthew Wiliford is charged with building the future of adult and continuing education programming. Prior to his current position, Matt served as the director of adult and community education with Wayland Union Schools in Michigan. An alumnus of the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey, he holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and theater from Adrian College and a master’s degree in public administration specializing in nonprofit organizations from Grand Valley State University.