BATON ROUGE — The Baton Rouge Blues Festival & Foundation has named J. Hover as its new executive director, effective immediately.

Hover previously served as interim director of the organization. He steps into the permanent role with a background in live music production, artist management and nonprofit arts administration.

"We are thrilled to have J. Hover leading the Baton Rouge Blues Festival & Foundation into its next chapter," said Board Chair Bill Bryan. "His dedication to this organization, his vision for its future and his proven track record in the live music and events industry make him the ideal person to carry this institution forward."

Hover is the founder of Molecular Management and the organizer of Federales Fest and Live After Five. The foundation describes him as one of Baton Rouge's most active and respected figures in the live music and cultural events landscape.

"Baton Rouge gave the world the blues and this festival is how we give it back," Hover said. "I couldn't be more proud or more motivated to lead this organization into its next chapter."

The Baton Rouge Blues Festival & Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting, preserving and advancing swamp blues music and culture native to Louisiana. Now in its 45th year, the annual festival is one of the largest free cultural events in the Gulf South, featuring dozens of regional and national blues artists across multiple downtown stages each spring.

The foundation is currently planning its 2027 event, with festival dates set for the weekend of April 16, 2027. Programming announcements are expected in the coming months.