Page 5 - CJAug25

From the NATIONAL OFFICERS

President PRESIDENT

EDITH COPLEY
ecopley@acda.org
As I write my first column for the Choral Journal,
I want to thank Tom Shelton, who encouraged me VICE PRESIDENT
to run for national office, saying that serving on the PEARL SHANGKUAN
ACDA National Board was the most rewarding expe- pshangkuan@acda.org
rience of his career. Tom was right—it is truly an hon- PRESIDENT-ELECT
or to work with my colleagues on the National Board JESSICA NÁPOLES
Edith Copley and Robyn Hilger, our visionary executive director. I jnapoles@acda.org
am also grateful for the opportunity to meet so many
talented and dedicated choral colleagues from around the country. Since I SECRETARY/TREASURER
begin each day by saying aloud what I am grateful for in my life, I thought ROBERT NATTER
my first column should center on gratitude. rnatter@gettysburg.edu
When I began my two-year term as president-elect, André Thomas
tasked me to chair the Bylaws and Constitution Rewrite Committee. I am PAST PRESIDENT
indebted to Lynne Gackle, Peggy Dettwiler, Vincent Oakes, Tim Wester- DAVID FRYLING
dfryling@acda.org
haus, Mariana Farah, and Robyn Hilger, who worked on this arduous, two-
year process that paved a new path into the future for our organization. As EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
I begin my term as president, I have tasked our new president-elect, Jessica ROBYN HILGER
Nápoles, to form a committee to tackle the next important step for ACDA: executivedirector@acda.org
the development of a Five-Year Strategic Plan. NATIONAL R&R CHAIR
As vice president, my primary responsibility was to serve as the chair of
the 2025 National Conference in Dallas. (An interesting sidenote: I attended GRETCHEN HARRISON
nationalrr@acda.org
my very first ACDA national conference forty-eight years ago in Dallas!) As
conference chair, I chose the theme, logo, conference committee members, EASTERN REGION PRESIDENT
eleven invited ensembles, and developed a new schedule, but the lion’s share AMANDA HANZLIK
of the work was done by others. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the con- amandahanzlik@gmail.com
ference committee, who made this massive event an uplifting and positive MIDWESTERN REGION PRESIDENT
experience for those in attendance: Jessica Nápoles (co-chair), Stan McGill DERRICK FOX
(program and performance site coordinator), Brian Galante (perform- foxderri@msu.edu
ing choirs), Cari Earnhart (interest sessions), Pearl Shangkuan (immersion
choirs), Gretchen Harrison (R&R forms and deep dives), Jared Berry and NORTHWESTERN REGION PRESIDENT
Andrea Galeno (honor choir coordinators), John Stafford (vocal jazz honor WILLIAM CAMPBELL
choir coordinator), William George-Twyman (equipment), Jennaya Robison billcampbell@nwacda.org
(music in worship event), Robert Sinclair (student worker coordinator), our
performance site managers (Brett Ballweg, Randall Hooper, Alonso Brizue- SOUTHERN REGION PRESIDENT
la, and Natalie Walker-Cell), and all our student workers. JEFFERY AMES
jefferyacdasouthern@gmail.com
Special thanks to all the auditioned and invited performing choirs, con-
ductors, interest session presenters, and exhibitors who inspired and con- SOUTHWESTERN REGION PRESIDENT
nected with us in meaningful ways during those four days in March. Very JONATHAN D. OWEN
special thanks to Robyn Hilger, Elizabeth Roewe, Karen Kegelman, and the Jonathano@swacda.org
entire national office staff for their work on the conference with such incred- WESTERN REGION PRESIDENT
ible attention to detail. I also want to publicly thank Amanda Bumgarner JULIE DANA
and Ron Granger for their tireless editorial work on the Choral Journal. The jdana@acdawestern.org
January and February national conference issues were absolutely amazing.
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATE REPRESENTATIVE
(Continued on the next page) OLIVER SCOFIELD
KI Concerts
CHORAL JOURNAL August 2025 Volume 66 Number 1 3 oliver@kiconcerts.com