While the Northwest Jazz Festival highlights local, national and international musicians each year, its board of directors also takes time to recognize the accomplishments of those who offer their time and talent for the event through the Jazz Festival Ambassador Award.
This year the award is given longtime jazz festival volunteer and Lewiston resident, Jeff Jordan. He served as the volunteer director of operations for the festival.
Jordan was responsible for interfacing with all festival electrical needs as well as handles the placement of electrical power for all of the stages to ensure that the Jazz Festival ran smoothly. In addition to his work with the Jazz Festival, He is a member of the Lewiston Kiwanis Club and a member of the Tuscarora Yacht Club.
A retired planner and scheduler for the New York Power Authority, for the past few decades, Jordan has been an active community volunteer implementing the layout and power requirements for many local festivals including the Niagara County Peach Festival. Jeff and his wife Sandy reside in the Town of Lewiston.
Chairwoman Carol Calato nominated Jeff for the award, with full board approval. “The Jazz Festival would definitely face an uphill climb without the expertise, time and talent from Jeff Jordan. For years Jeff has worked with the staff and board to lay out the logistics of the festival which is no small task. He does this without hesitation and leads a team of volunteers who are laying out the groundwork days before the festival takes place and are among the last to leave in the early morning hours of clean up. Jeff should be celebrated for his work and we are happy to honor him.”
Jordan received his award on Saturday evening prior to the night’s big performance.