Timothy Blackburn, Ph.D.

A former management consultant and professor of applied behavior analysis, Dr. Timothy C. Blackburn served as Chairman of the Board of Festival Napa Valley from 2015 to 2021.

As CEO and founder of the Institute of Strategic Leadership, Timothy advised companies on issues of governance, strategy, and strategic implementation. Among his clients were GE Capital, Bechtel, Soracom, Cementec, TransCom Inc., Serena Software, Catholic Healthcare West, Air & Water Technologies, Navteq, and Duty Free Shoppers.

Timothy previously served as vice chair of Dominican University of California, and on the board of directors of San Francisco Opera.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Timothy has been involved with Festival Napa Valley since its founding in 2006. He and his wife Athena are major sponsors of the Festival’s Blackburn Music Academy, an immersive summer conservatory for emerging professional musicians.