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STANDING COMMITTEES
From the
Executive Director

ADVOCACY & COLLABORATION
EMILY WILLIAMS BURCH, CHAIR
EmilyWilliamsBurch@gmail.com

COMPOSITION INITIATIVES A Note of Thanks—

ROBERT BODE, CHAIR and Hope for What’s to Come
rbode@acda.org
I want to take a moment to offer heartfelt thanks
to our outgoing state presidents. For the past two
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES years, you have guided your chapters with creativi-
ARREON HARLEY-EMERSON, CHAIR Robyn Hilger ty, compassion, and resilience. Whether organizing
arreon@equitysings.com festivals, supporting educators through uncertain
times, or finding new ways to bring people together in song, your lead-
EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION ership has made a lasting difference.
JOHN MCDONALD , CHAIR Being a state president isn’t just about managing meetings or checking
JohnMcDonald@wustl.edu off tasks. It’s about building community—through music and through
service. It’s about doing the quiet, consistent work that helps others feel
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES supported, seen, and inspired. You’ve kept the music going, sometimes
JOSHUA HABERMANN, CHAIR against all odds. And that’s something to be proud of.
joshhabermann@gmail.com
As we welcome a new group of state leaders, I feel a renewed sense
of optimism. These incoming presidents inherit strong foundations—
REPERTOIRE & RESOURCES
GRETCHEN HARRISON, CHAIR thanks to you—and they bring fresh energy and ideas. I know they’ll
nationalrr@acda.org lead with the same dedication, and I hope they’ll also find joy in the
work knowing they are not alone.

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS We also have several national leaders who are ending their terms
JESSICA NAPOLES, CHAIR of service. First, thank you to André Thomas. André ends his service

Jessica.Napoles@unt.edu on the Executive Committee and officially becomes a member of the
Past Presidents’ Council on July 1. André will always be the first ACDA
National President I served with, and I will always be eternally grateful
for his steady guidance, leadership, support, and for helping to “raise
me” as your National Executive Director. David Fryling will end his
ADVOCACY STATEMENT
term as National President and will transition into the Past President’s
The human spirit is elevated to a broader understanding role. David has been a thought leader and a visionary for many pieces
of itself and its place in the world through the study of and of ACDA’s work, including being a champion for ACDA to continually
participation in choral music. Singing in a choir produces strive to be a place of true belonging. It has not been easy for these two
more active and involved citizens. It affects self-worth leaders, who took the reins during COVID and directly into COVID
in youth and adults. It builds connectivity throughout recovery. They have led us with bravery, skill, strength, and solid vision
communities. Society benefits from the aesthetic beauty
and community of singers created by choral programs for our future.
within schools, houses of worship, and community Choral music is a collective act. No one voice carries the song; it’s
organizations through involved citizenry, connectivity the blend, the balance, the harmony that create something lasting. And
throughout communities, and feelings of personal self- that’s exactly what these leaders have built in state chapters and nation-
worth. The American Choral Directors Association and ally: harmony, strength, and a future filled with possibility.
its membership resolve to ensure the survival of choral Thank you for your service. Thank you for your heart. And thank
programs for this and future generations by:
you for reminding all of us what it means to lead with music at the
Actively voicing support for funding at local, state, center.
and national levels of education and government;
collaborating with local and national organizations to
ensure the distribution of arts funding data and arts-
related activism opportunities; advocating for full access
to choral singing and inclusion of all singers in a choral
program; and ensuring the distribution of advocacy
statements and data regarding choral programs.
2 CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2025 Volume 65 Number 9