Charlie Seemann is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada. He holds an M.A. in Folklife Studies from the University of California at Los Angeles. He was an instructor in folklore and folk music at Moorpark College in California for 6 years, and then worked as a folklorist and Director of the Western Regional Folklife Festival for the National Park Service/Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco until 1981. He then moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he was Deputy Director at the Country Music Foundation/Country Music Hall of Fame for 12 years.