Since taking the reins of the Foundation during a period of financial and administrative turmoil, Jay Sieleman has engineered a remarkable turnaround of the organization. Reducing staff and expenses, the Foundation was able to turn negative net incomes in 2002 and the first half of 2003 into a significant net income for 2004, allowing the organization to eliminate its 2002 and 2003 debts ($150,000) and accumulate more than $300,000 in reserves. During this time, the Foundation has staged some of its best-attended and most highly-acclaimed Blues Music Awards and International Blues Challenges (2004-2010) and has more than doubled individual memberships and affiliated blues societies (185). Each of these has contributed to a much-improved reputation both in the Blues world and the general public. Almost since the beginning, he has reached out to the international Blues community, resulting, among other things, in an annual European Blues Conference. In 2007, The Blues Foundation completed a building feasibility study and in 2010 will begin the capital campaign that will lead to a permanent ‘home’ in downtown Memphis that will serve as the international headquarters of Blues music, serving as office, tourist destination and educational center.