Turtle Creek Chorale welcomes Dr. Dawson B. Taylor as Executive Director
After an extensive search, the Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome Dr. Dawson B. Taylor (he/him/his) as the Executive Director of the Turtle Creek Chorale. Dr. Taylor will assume his role on November 1, 2024.
Dr. Taylor joins TCC with extensive leadership experience serving as Designated Minister of Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ in Bethesda, Maryland and sings as baritone in the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. Prior to his role at Westmoreland, Dr. Taylor served as the sixth Senior Minister (2016-2022) and Associate Minister (2013-2015) of Naples United Church of Christ. Prior to moving to Florida, he served as Executive Minister of Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas.
While in Dallas, Dr. Taylor was also a part of the TCC. He began singing with TCC in fall of 2006 (the last season of Dr. Tim Seelig). He also served on the TCC board in 2007 and became chairperson in 2009. Dr. Taylor is proud to serve as a Trustee of Chicago Theological Seminary where he chairs the Board Affairs Committee and serves on the Executive Committee and Strategic Options Task Force.
In 2018 Dr. Taylor was named by Gulfshore Business in its annual class of 40 Under 40 and his alma mater, Centenary College presented him the Bentley Sloane Alumni Award for service. Dr. Taylor has served on numerous not-for-profit boards of directors including Planned Parenthood of Central and Southwest Florida and GLSEN-Collier County. Dawson has been a featured guest on the podcast One Spark at a Time and the documentary film Compelling Love and Sexual Identity: Connecting Beyond Tolerance. Additionally, he was a Contributor to Rise Up: Spirituality for Resistance (The Pilgrim Press, 2017) and a presenter at the 2020 Courageous Faith Summit. In 2021, Dr. Taylor was honored to deliver the address at the 196 th commencement of Lancaster Seminary.
Dr. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Centenary College of Louisiana, a Master of Theological Studies from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, and his Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Taylor enjoys traveling and time with family, especially his five nieces and nephews. And of course, he is always entertained by his Chocolate Labrador, Max.
Dr. Taylor stated, “I am thrilled to be re-joining Turtle Creek Chorale as Executive Director. As a native Texan, SMU alum, and former staff member of Cathedral of Hope UCC and First United Methodist Church in Richardson, the Dallas area was my home for over 9 years. During that time, the Turtle Creek Chorale became an extended family for me. I have always appreciated the mantra ‘Once a Turtle, always a Turtle.’ I have sung or heard TCC at the Meyerson Center, Carnegie Hall, and most recently in Minneapolis at the GALA Festival and the sound truly is ‘like nothing else on earth.’ I am especially excited to partner with my friend Sean Mikel Baugh, the fantastic singing membership, the committed Board of Directors, the talented staff, and generous donors to broaden the mission to entertain, educate, unite, and inspire.”
