Music Foundation taps Deyo

Dean Deyo, former CEO of Time Warner Communications in the Mid-South, today will be named president of the Memphis Music Foundation, sources said.

Deyo replaces Rey Flemings, who left the nonprofit foundation in September, joining Justin Timberlake's organization as the hometown pop star works to relaunch Stax Records.

The foundation had searched nationally for a new president, seeking applicants with economic development and fund-raising experience. That, rather than a music-industry background, was in keeping with the foundation's mission of economic development through music.

Attempts to reach Deyo on Monday were unsuccessful.

Deyo is chairman of the Leadership Academy, a nonprofit organization offering leadership development. He's also a board member of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission.

The foundation's goal has been to re-establish Memphis as a music-industry city, including creating jobs and attracting businesses.

Flemings, who remains with the foundation as a board member, set the tone for the organization's economic development-through-music strategy. He and the foundation were driving forces in the planned Stax relaunch as well as the possible opening of a regional movie headquarters by Village Roadshow Pictures.

The foundation is a partner of the publicly funded Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission.

The commission focuses on smaller-scale, shorter-term initiatives that affect the local music community. The foundation's emphasis is on larger-scale, longer-range projects.

Such projects take money, so fund-raising will be a major part of the new president's job.