Officers & Directors

Thomas (Tom) Class

President

Tom is serving his second term as President of the Board of Directors of the Cape Ann Symphony. Like many active on the Cape Ann Symphony Board, Tom is a life-long music-lover, especially classical. His love of classical music began at a young age with a six-record set of excerpts from classical masterpieces (vinyl LP’s) and the New York City Opera’s Opera in the Park Program. He began his career on orchestral Boards in high school as a member of the Junior Board of Directors of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Dedicated to music education in the schools, he has worked tirelessly in support of music programs at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. It was the Orchestra’s Youth Program that initially attracted him to the Cape Ann Symphony and during his time on the board he has worked not only to secure funding for the program but to expand its reach to include other school districts and ultimately to middle and high school levels.

His long-range vision for the Cape Ann Symphony is to expand the artistic breadth and reach of the orchestra to become a fully acknowledged regional symphony by expanding its geographic reach beyond Cape Ann to other areas of the North Shore.

Tom also works with Shire Human Genetic Therapies, where he specializes in the regulatory approval of new drug therapies for unmet medical needs and orphan indications.

Peter W. Beacham

Vice President of Development

As Vice President of Development, Peter continues to be instrumental in securing grants, donations and sponsorships for the organization.

Since moving permanently to Rockport in 1990, Peter became deeply involved in the town. Past President of the Rockport Rotary Club, he also serves on a number of town appointed committees and as Chair the Economic Development Committee. In addition, Peter also helped restart Boy Scout Troop 20. Working quietly with others, he headed the ABC Program for Rockport which successfully converted the town from its historic position of being a dry to now issuing a limited number of liquor licenses. Currently a board member of the Rockport Division of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, he is actively involved in trying to improve the economic climate for the community. He is also currently involved with others in the community, including the Rockport Music organization, in trying to ensure that Rockport realizes its full potential, capitalizes on all of it assets and becomes a premier community for everyone who is fortunate enough to live or visit Rockport and Cape Ann.

Elizabeth Frere Jones

Vice President of Marketing

Born and raised in England, Elizabeth came to the US in 1961. As a child, classical music was always a part of her life with classical concert radio broadcasts a regular feature at home. As a teenager, her father took her to her first opera and another passion was born. Throughout her life Elizabeth has also sung in choral groups, both in sacred and secular.

In her professional life, she retired from American Express as a print Production Manager, and started her own home organizing business, EFJ Organizers. After volunteering for some years for the Cape Ann Symphony fund-raising Dine Around program, she joined the Board in 2004, and became the Chair of that group (then renamed Celebrations). Now VP for Marketing, she continues to monitor and upgrade the various faces that the Cape Ann Symphony puts before the world.

In other activities, Elizabeth is also a VP on the Board of Gloucester Stage Company, and a past board member (and current volunteer) of the Sargent House Museum.

Thomas C. Hooper

Treasurer

Tom has served as Treasurer for the Cape Ann Symphony since 2001. His received his MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College where he majored in finance while performing in the trumpet sections of the college wind symphony and marching band. Tom’s career has been centered in financial management in both private and public sectors, culminating as a director and the Chief Financial Officer of the Ark-Les Corporation in Stoughton, MA, for over 25 years. In addition, he served on the town of Sherborn’s financial advisory committee for more than 10 years. Now retired, his major interests include the financial support and guidance of the Symphony, as well as his daughter’s modern dance company and her dance studio on the North Shore.