Liz Thiels, influential public relations professional and former Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum executive, died Sunday, March 19, after an extended illness. She was seventy-eight years old.

Thiels contributed to Nashville’s international reputation by helping launch the famed Exit/In, one of the city’s historic music venues; she founded Nashville’s first PR firm specific to the city’s music industry; and she helped shape the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s worldwide reputation as a respected cultural institution.

Thiels joined the Museum in 2002 and served as senior vice president of public relations before retiring as a key member of its executive team in 2015. During her tenure, she helped raise the institution’s profile and deepen the public’s understanding of its educational mission. She also served as a guiding light for dozens of key Museum events, including its annual Medallion Ceremony, which formally inducts new members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In 2008, Thiels was recognized at the Museum’s annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum, which honors music industry leaders who represent the legacy of music business manager Louise Scruggs.