F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E

Walker West Music Academy Names Charles P. Morgan as Executive Director; Veteran Twin Cities nonprofit leader and lifelong musician to guide one of the nation’s most established Black-founded community music schools into its next chapter

SAINT PAUL, Minn. —10 July 2026 — Walker West Music Academy has named Charles P. Morgan as its next Executive Director, selecting an accomplished nonprofit executive, lifelong musician, and community leader to guide the nationally recognized institution through its next phase of growth.

Morgan steps into the role at a pivotal moment in Walker|West’s history. In 2025, the academy opened its new home at 650 Marshall Avenue in St. Paul, positioning the organization to expand access to high-quality, culturally grounded music education while building upon nearly four decades of community impact.

Morgan was selected following a national executive search led by the Walker|West Board of Directors in partnership with kpCompanies, a Minnesota-based retained executive search firm. The Board cited his distinguished record of executive leadership, fundraising, and community partnership, his lifelong commitment to music, and his deep alignment with Walker|West’s mission and values.

Founded in 1988 by Reverend Carl Walker and Grant West, Walker|West is widely regarded as one of the longest-running community music schools founded by African American musicians in the country. For nearly four decades, it has served students of all ages and backgrounds, rooted in the African American cultural experience and offering affordable, high-quality instruction across genres, with a special emphasis on jazz, gospel, and improvisational music. As the organization builds on this foundation, Morgan will focus his leadership on long-term sustainability, enrollment growth, fundraising, and deepening the academy’s relationships across the community.

“As we fully occupy our new home, we were looking for someone who understands both the business of sustaining an organization and the heart of what makes Walker|West irreplaceable to this community,” said Cherise Ayers, Board Chair of Walker West Music Academy. “Charles is that leader, and we are thrilled to welcome him.”

Morgan’s connection to music has shaped his life from the very beginning. Raised in Thibodaux, Louisiana, a town with a rich musical heritage, he grew up surrounded by neighborhood clubs and a family deeply rooted in music. His grandfather Henry “Nettie” James was a musician with brothers who performed through New Orleans, Thibodaux, and the surrounding region. This history introduced Morgan to a tradition that would become a lifelong calling.

A bassist, bandleader, and music director, Morgan founded and led his own band, Scarlet Thread, in Los Angeles, performed and toured with artists both nationally and internationally, and has spent decades supporting churches, worship teams, and community events through music. For Morgan, music has always been more than performance. It is a universal language that builds character, preserves culture, and strengthens communities, the very values at the heart of Walker|West’s mission.

Morgan brings a distinguished record of nonprofit leadership across the Twin Cities. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities in St. Paul from 2014 to 2020, and as Vice President of Chemical and Mental Health at Avivo in Minneapolis. He currently serves as Programs Chair on the board of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, one of St. Paul’s most established community institutions. A licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical supervisor, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Southern California, a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology from Antioch Christian University.

Morgan describes his leadership philosophy simply: “Honor the legacy. Empower people. Inspire the future.”

“Music has shaped my life for as long as I can remember, and I have seen its power to build character, preserve culture, and bring communities together,” said Morgan. “The measure of our success is not only the music we produce, but the people we develop, the community we strengthen, and the legacy we faithfully pass to the next generation. I am deeply honored to help carry that work forward at Walker| West.”

The Walker|West Board of Directors extends its sincere gratitude to kpCompanies for its partnership throughout the executive search, as well as to the Search Committee, faculty, staff, students, families, donors, and community members whose thoughtful participation helped shape this important process. Together, Walker|West looks forward to welcoming Charles P. Morgan and continuing its mission of transforming lives through the power of music.

About Walker West Music Academy Founded in 1988 by Reverend Carl Walker and Grant West, Walker West Music Academy is a music learning community rooted in the African American cultural experience, where people of all ages and backgrounds gather to explore, perform, and grow through music. From its beginnings with a single rented piano in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, Walker|West has grown into one of the nation’s longest-running Black-founded community music schools, now serving thousands of students each year from its home at 650 Marshall Avenue. Through instruction, performance, and community engagement, Walker|West strengthens individuals, families, and communities through the power of music.

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