Your host, and organizer for the past 32 years, The Augmented Eight is a men’s a cappella group that has entertained Washington audiences for over 65 years with a blend of old standards, modern pop, jazz, show tunes, and the occasional surprise.

In 1981, seven Yale students came together to form the university’s first and only all-senior women’s a cappella group. Now, Whim ‘n Rhythm is a nonprofit organization composed of thirteen of Yale’s best senior soprano-alto singers. Since its founding, the members of Whim ‘n Rhythm have recorded professional studio albums and traveled to every continent to share their talent and love of singing with audiences around the world.

The Augmented 8 is pleased to have Ed Spitzberg as our Emcee/Person of Ceremonies (stepping into that role when CNN’s Jim Sciutto, who it won’t surprise anyone to hear has a Day Job, was forced by said position to withdraw).  Ed (who, while also having a day job, is not Jim Sciutto) has at least a Quadruple Connection to tonight’s event.

Connection 1, Ed is professionally a Leader in the Nonprofit Community.  He is the Founder and Principal of Spitzberg Advisors, a strategic advisory firm serving nonprofits organizations and leaders, providing leadership advisory and coaching, board development, transition planning, fundraising planning, program development, retreat facilitation, and strategic planning, with a particular expertise in youth development and the arts.  Among other nonprofit executive positions, Ed has direct experience as Executive Director of nonprofit organizations, including the multidisciplinary arts education program Sitar Arts Center, serving young people from low-income families and winning the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities’ National Arts and Humanities Youth Program award under his tenure. He also currently serves on the board of the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance. He does much of this work with CNN on in the background, often with Jim Sciutto saying smart things that Ed hears.

Connection 2, Ed is a distinguished writer and performer in his own right. Over the past quarter century, his “Eddie Lounge” (not Jimmy Scuitto Lounge) show played at, among other venues, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Faz San Francisco, and locally, Arena Stage at 14^th & T, AMP by Strathmore, and the tenth Capital Fringe Festival, winning “Best Overall Show” for that last one.

Connections 3 and 4, closely-related to Connection 2, Ed was a Whiffenpoof while attending Yale in the ‘90s, and a member of the Augmented 8 for a great but too-short tenure in the 2010s.

We’re lucky to have him with us!