ProMusica Arizona Appoints Karen Rasmussen as Executive Director
ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra has named longtime member and board chair Karen Rasmussen as its new executive director. She will succeed Zack Wells, who is stepping down from the role effective June 30, 2025.
A Phoenix-area nonprofit founded in 2003, PMAZ is known for its innovative, multi-generational performances that combine choral and orchestral music to enrich the cultural life of the greater Phoenix community.
Rasmussen brings both musical and executive leadership experience to the position. A classically trained organist and accompanist, she has sung with PMAZ since 2017, joined its board of directors in 2019, and has served as board chair since 2024. Board member Terry Quinn has been nominated to serve as chair for the remainder of Rasmussen’s term.
Beyond her musical background, Rasmussen is a respected expert in nonprofit governance, strategic planning and communications. She spent 13 years as vice president of a large California-based nonprofit transportation organization before becoming president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association, where she served for 11 years. During her tenure, she founded the Arizona Transportation Education Foundation, leading it as executive director for eight years.
In 2012, Rasmussen was recruited to lead the PrePass Safety Alliance, a nonprofit that operates North America’s largest truck safety weigh station bypass program. She retired from PrePass after a successful tenure as president and CEO but remained active in the sector, co-founding the Independent Carrier Safety Association and becoming its executive director in 2020. She also serves on its board.
Her board service spans several influential nonprofit organizations, including the American Transportation Research Institute, Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and Truckers Against Trafficking, among others.
Originally from the Midwest, Rasmussen moved to Phoenix in 2001 and joined the Sanctuary Choir at All Saints Lutheran Church the following year. Her career blends a deep love of music with a lifelong commitment to impactful nonprofit leadership — an ideal match for PMAZ as it looks ahead to its next chapter.
Karen Werner is the editor of Frontdoors Media. She is a writer, editor and media consultant. She has interned at The New Yorker, worked at Parents Magazine, edited five books and founded several local magazines. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Mental Floss and the Saturday Evening Post.
