Election Results Announced at AGO National Convention in Washington, D.C. |
July 15, 2010 NEW YORK CITY — The AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS (AGO) announces a newly elected National Council for a term of two years, July 1, 2010–June 30, 2012. Election results were reported on Wednesday, July 7, during the AGO Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the AGO National Convention in Washington, D.C. Members of the newly elected National Council include four national officers, four national councillors with portfolio, and nine regional councillors drawn from across the country. The non-voting executive director serves as an ex officio member of Council. PRESIDENT Eileen Guenther, DMA Vienna, Va. VICE PRESIDENT John Walker, FAGO, DMA Baltimore, Md. SECRETARY Lois Z. Toeppner, MM Westborough, Mass. TREASURER / COUNCILLOR FOR FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT Calvert Johnson, DM Decatur, Ga. COUNCILLOR FOR EDUCATION Joyce Shupe Kull, FAGO, CHM, DMA Arvada, Colo. COUNCILLOR FOR COMPETITIONS AND NEW MUSIC David Vogels, CAGO, MM Greenwood Village, Colo. COUNCILLOR FOR CONVENTIONS Dennis Elwell, BMUS Ardmore, Pa. COUNCILLOR FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Marlene Hallstrom, CAGO, MM, MMUSED Wichita, Kans. —— REGION I COUNCILLOR New England E Lary Grossman, SPC, MBA, PHD Hatfield, Mass. REGION II COUNCILLOR New York–New Jersey Agnes Armstrong, CAGO, MA, MS Altamont, N.Y. REGION III COUNCILLOR Mid-Atlantic Jane Errera, CHM, MA Bethlehem, Pa. REGION IV COUNCILLOR Southeast Laura Ellis, DMA Gainesville, Fla. REGION V COUNCILLOR Great Lakes Paul T. Barte, DMA Athens, Ohio REGION VI COUNCILLOR North Central Jan Kraybill, FAGO, DMA Independence, Mo. REGION VII COUNCILLOR Southwest Michael Bedford, AAGO, CHM, DMA Tulsa, Okla. REGION VIII COUNCILLOR Pacific Northwest Dean G. Jamieson, PHD Shoreline, Wash. REGION IX COUNCILLOR Far West Leslie Wolf Robb, CAGO, BA La Jolla, Calif. —— EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ex officio James E. Thomashower, CAE, BA New York, N.Y. “The process of nominating candidates to the National Council requires a coordinated effort among ten committees comprising more than 50 volunteers,” reported AGO Executive Director James Thomashower. The AGO National Nominating Committee and nine Regional Nominating Committees identified 34 candidates for nomination to the 17 positions on Council. Of the 34 candidates, 13 were incumbents who were eligible for renomination. All 13 were renominated and reelected. “The members of the 2010–2012 National Council will have an extremely busy agenda addressing the many action items that the Task Force on Long-Range Planning has recently submitted and recommended for implementation,” declared Thomashower. “The new Council is well equipped to meet these challenges as four new Council members bring fresh stores of talent and energy to the table complementing the experience of our 13 returning members.” The election was held from April 1 through June 1 and managed by Intelliscan Inc., an independent election management firm engaged by the AGO to administer the election, receive the ballots, and tabulate the results. The total number of ballots cast was 5,358, compared with 3,828 in the 2008 election; 3,791 in 2006; and 2,748 in the 2004 election, the first election in which electronic balloting was made available. In each of the four Council positions for which there was no incumbent, a woman and a man were nominated. In each instance, the woman was elected. Women now make up the majority of Council members by a nine to eight margin, and a majority of the Regional Councillors by a five to four margin. This would appear to be the first time in the Guild’s history that women represent a majority of the members of Council. The AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, it sets and maintains high musical standards and promotes the understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music. The mission of the AGO is to enrich lives through organ and choral music. The Guild currently serves approximately 19,000 members in more than 300 local chapters throughout the United States and abroad. The American Organist Magazine, the official journal of the AGO and the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, reaches an audience of more than 20,000 readers each month. This information is submitted by F. Anthony Thurman, Director of Development and Communications at the National Headquarters of the American Guild of Organists and The American Organist Magazine. For further information, please contact Dr. Thurman by TEL (212) 870-2310, FAX (212) 870-2163 or E-MAIL fathurman@agohq.org. |
