Dan Point

As we end New York’s primary elections and enter the crucial midterm general election season, I want to introduce myself as the new chief of staff of Local 802. A little bit about me: I’m both a classically trained French hornist as well as a professional political consultant, with over a decade of campaign experience spanning all levels of government. By coming to Local 802, I’ve combined two lifelong passions — music and politics — by joining the labor movement to advance the interests of musicians and performers in our region.

Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree from NYU in music technology and French horn, I embarked on a career in campaigns to elect politicians who, among other things, sought to increase access to arts performance and education. In 2017, I founded a boutique fundraising firm, Direct Point Development. After several cycles of full-time campaign work, I expanded my business to provide full-service campaign management and began to hire, develop and manage my own staff and vendors on a wide range of projects.

I consider myself an adaptive, dedicated team member, and I use my musical training to listen before taking action. I take pride in my ability to build strong coalitions, and I thrive in environments where I feel not just challenged by my work but also motivated to affect change within the communities to which I belong.

As a musician familiar with the complex realities of the arts performance and education spaces, I know the lived experience of many Local 802 members. My ability to draw from that background and connect with you while engaging my network and political instincts will enable me to help our union continue to advocate powerfully on behalf of our membership.

The opportunity to lead coalitions that improve working conditions of musicians — an industry integral to the character of our region and close to my heart — is more than exciting to me: it represents a long-sought opportunity to contribute to the lives of a profession that helped me become who I am today. To do so as the performance industry continues to bounce back in the wake of the pandemic is a great privilege for me, and it fulfills personal goals pre-dating my entry into political work.

This is a crucial political season: the rights of women, immigrants, and all working people lie in the balance. The general election is Nov. 8, and I’m going to do everything in my power to invigorate our political efforts and harness our powerful voice. At the same time, I will make our endorsement process and political goals more transparent. Look for more on this soon. But for the moment, please make sure you are registered to vote; start at https://vote.gov/.

I look forward to meeting you. Please contact me at dpoint@local802afm.org or (212) 245-4802, ext. 235.