Board of Directors

One of Chorus America's greatest strengths is a diverse governing board of accomplished arts leaders from communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Learn more about the current members of our Board of Directors below. Our Director Laureate honorary title recognizes past board members who demonstrated extraordinary leadership during their service.

Officers

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Dr. Anton Armstrong wearing a tuxedo
Chair; Tosdal Professor of Music, St. Olaf College
Dr. Anton Armstrong served on Chorus America’s Board from 2008 – 2017. He is the Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, and became the fourth conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990 after ten...
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Steven Neiffer headshot
Treasurer; Chief Financial Officer, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Steven is a senior-level finance executive with more than 35 years of experience managing financial and administrative functions for highly respected financial services companies, ranging from start...
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Diana Saez
Secretary, Director of Choral Activities, Towson University
Diana V. Sáez, DMA, is a leading specialist in the field of Latin American music and an accomplished choral conductor. She is frequently invited as guest conductor, adjudicator and lecturer in the...

Members of the Board

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Laura Adlers is an experienced arts and non-profit leader who has successfully directed organizations and projects in the cultural and public sectors for more than 25 years. She recently relaunched...
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Partner and CFO, Dorsal Capital Management LLC
Jeff Barnett has been Chief Financial Officer and Partner of Dorsal Capital since the firm’s founding in June 2009. He directs all aspects of the firm’s operations including trading, systems, human...
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Former Senior Vice President and General Counsel, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Charles A. Berardesco recently retired as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, which is a not-for-profit...
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Dashon Burton headshot
Professional Singer
Praised for his “nobility and rich tone,” ( The New York Times) and his “enormous, thrilling voice seemingly capable … of raising the dead;” ( Wall Street Journal), bass-baritone Dashon Burton has...
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Thomas Cooke headshot
Board President, Voce
Thomas Cooke (Tommy) started singing as a treble in the boys choir at Trinity Church On-the-Green in New Haven, Connecticut when he was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped since. He co-founded the...
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Iris Derke headshot
Co-Founder and General Director, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)
Iris Derke is Co-Founder and General Director for DCINY, a major INC 5000 concert production company responsible for large-scale concerts at numerous prestigious concert venues. DCINY has brought...
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Rollo Dilworth headshot
Professor of Choral Music Education, Vice Dean, Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, Temple University
Rollo Dilworth: Dilworth served 10 years on Chorus America’s Board and is being invited back for a new term, after a year’s hiatus. He served as Board chair from 2014 – 2016. More than 150 of Dilworth...
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Photo of Maria Ellis
Educator and Conductor, Girl Conductor LLC; Director, Sheldon's City of Music All-Star Chorus
Maria A. Ellis is a passionate educator and conductor. She is the owner of Girl Conductor LLC, a company that creates diverse music education resources and currently serves as the director of the...
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David Hayes headshot
Music Director, NYChoral
David Hayes is a conductor with an unusually broad range of repertory, spanning the symphonic, oratorio/choral and operatic genres. Mr. Hayes is currently the Music Director of the Mannes Orchestra...
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Robert Istad Headshot
Artistic Director, Pacific Chorale; Director of Choral Studies, CSU Fullerton
Conducting Academy Dean Robert Istad is Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Mr. Istad regularly conducts and collaborates...
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Founder and Artistic Director, Conspirare Artistic Director, Vocal Arts Ensemble
Craig Hella Johnson is the founding artistic director and conductor of the Austin-based, internationally-renowned, Grammy-winning choir Conspirare. Johnson is also music director of the Cincinnati...
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Anne Keiser headshot
Board Member & Singer (Former Chair), The Choral Arts Society of Washington (DC)
Anne Keiser has sung with The Choral Arts Society since 1975 and has served on its Board of Directors since 1988, twice serving as the Board Chair. For twenty-seven years she was a member of the...
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Mary Tuuk Kuras
Principal, MTK Practical Leadership
Drawing on 34 years of executive experience across a wide range of industries, Mary Tuuk Kuras serves as CEO of MTK Practical Leadership and empowers professional leaders through a common-sense...
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Mark Lawson headshot
President, ECS Publishing Group
Mark W. Lawson is the President of ECS Publishing Group, parent company for E.C. Schirmer, Galaxy Music Corporation, MorningStar Music Publishers and the ARSIS Audio recording label. Mr. Lawson has...
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President, Baltimore Children & Youth Fund; Founder and Artistic Director, Sister Cities Girlchoir
Alysia Lee is the President of Baltimore Children and Youth Fund Inc. She has a full circle role as an artist, arts educator, teaching artist, and policymaker. This gives her a broad perspective of...
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Mary Doughty Mauch headshot
Conductor and Grassroots Organizer and Leader
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Marcela Molina headshot
Tucson Girls Chorus, Executive and Artistic Director; Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Director
Dr. Molina has been leading the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, first serving as Artistic Director and taking the helm as Executive Director in 2011. Under Dr. Molina’s guidance, the Tucson Girls...
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David Morrow
Professor and Director of the Morehouse Glee Club, Morehouse College
David Morrow is a native of Rochester, New York. He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in 1980. While at Morehouse, he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa, was awarded the Kemper...
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Brian Newhouse headshot
Associate Vice President of Individual Giving, Minnesota Orchestra
Brian Newhouse is the associate vice president of individual giving at the Minnesota Orchestra. He is the former managing director of Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media’s classical...
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John Nuechterlein headshot
Community Leader and Former President/CEO, American Composers Forum
John Nuechterlein recently retired as President and CEO of the American Composers Forum, a leading national service organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1975 as the Minnesota...
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Elizabeth Nunez headshot
Associate Artistic Director, Young People's Chorus of New York City, Founding Artistic Director, SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir
Elizabeth Núñez is the Associate Artistic Director of the award-winning Young People’s Chorus of New York City, founded by YPC Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez in 1988. She is also a conductor...
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Board Member, Cincinnati Children’s Choir
Eric V. Oliver recently retired as Regional Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board’s Cincinnati Office (NLRB). Mr. Oliver began his career with the Agency in 1984 as a Field Attorney in the...
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Dianne Peterson headshot
Executive Director Emerita, The Washington Chorus
Dianne was honored with the title of Executive Director Emerita of The Washington Chorus (DC) when she retired in June of 2016 after leading the organization for over 30 years. Ms. Peterson has an...
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Molly Buzick Pontin headshot
Vice President and Director of Education & Community Programs, Pacific Chorale
Molly Buzick Pontin is equally at home as a conductor, educator and administrator. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from the University of Denver, a Master of Music in...
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Andrea Ramsey headshot
Composer, Conductor, and Music Educator
Andrea Ramsey enjoys an international presence as a composer, conductor, scholar, and music educator. Her teaching experiences range from work with adolescent and children's voices to high school and...
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Eugene Rogers headshot
Director of Choral Activities, University of Michigan; Artistic Director, The Washington Chorus
Recognized as a leading conductor, pedagogue, and lecturer, Eugene Rogers has appeared throughout the United States as well as in Africa, Canada, China, Singapore, England, Portugal, Hong Kong...
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Steve Smith
President, Berkshire Choral International
Steven F. Smith leads transformative change for performing arts organizations. As President of Berkshire Choral International, he is overseeing a strategic revitalization of the organization with...
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Carrie Tennant headshot
Founder and Artistic Director, Vancouver Youth Choir
Carrie Tennant is the founder and artistic director of the Vancouver Youth Choir. For the past 20 years, she has worked primarily with youth, developing leadership and artistry with young singers...
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Associate Professor of Choral Music and Director of Choral Activities, The Hartt School - University of Hartford Resident Conductor, Handel and Haydn Society Chorus
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Anthony Trecek-King has cultivated an international reputation as a choral conductor, scholar, pedagogue, and media personality. He is passionate about cultivating...
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Jean-Sébastién Vallée
Artistic Director, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; Director of Choral Studies, McGill University
Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue known for his expertise in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoires. With an illustrious career spanning over...
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Chris Verdugo headshot
Chief Executive Officer, San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus
Chris Verdugo (he/him) is privileged to serve as the first CEO of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. His journey in the gay choral movement began at the age of 18 when he joined the Gay Men’s Chorus...
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Director and Conductor, Chicago Symphony Chorus; Director and Conductor, Colorado Symphony Chorus
Duain Wolfe has served as the director and conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus since 1994, preparing the chorus for performances with many of the world’s most renowned orchestral conductors. His...