Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Appoints 9 New Members to Board of Directors

    KALAMAZOO, MI, June 22, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is excited to welcome nine new board members - Stephen Blackwood, Andy Dominianni, Hal B. Jenson MD, MBA, Tom Kasdorf, Scott E. McIntyre, Jack Nelligan, Diane Robertson, Laura VanPopering and Jack VanSlambrouck - to the KSO Board of Directors. The new members were voted in at the KSO's 2016 Annual Meeting, which was held on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 4:30pm in the Epic Center's Epic Theater, Downtown Kalamazoo. In attendance were the stakeholders and $100+ annual fund donors of $100 of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

The 2016 Annual meeting began with a warm welcome from Board Chair, Dr. Janice M. Brown, with Secretary Pam Enslen introducing the approval of the 2015 Annual Meeting minutes. This was followed by a presentation of annual reports from: Board Chair, Dr. Janice M. Brown; Treasurer, James McIntyre; Music Director, Raymond Harvey; Resident Conductor, Daniel Brier; President & CEO, Peter H. Gistelinck and Vice Presidents - Elizabeth Youker (Education & Community Partnerships), Suzanne Weeldreyer (Development & Communication), Evan Menz (Artistic Operations & New Media) and Karen Wile (Finance & Administration) as well as KSO League President, Colleen McBride. Reports were specifically focused on each department's achievements as set forth by the KSO's Strategic Plan, which was released publicly in March 2016.

Following these reports, the KSO Board of Directors recognized retiring board member Callie Baskerville-Jones and re-elected current directors David Mange and Fiona Denny for a second term, and Jamie Williams for a fourth term. Election of candidates for directorship: Stephen Blackwood, Andy Dominianni, Hal B. Jenson, MD, MBA, Tom Kasdorf, Scott E. McIntyre, Jack Nelligan, Diane Robertson, Laura VanPopering and Jack VanSlambrouck was unanimously accepted by the quorum. The meeting also included a musical duet with Raymond Harvey on piano and Daniel Brier on violin, performances by students of the KSO's Marvelous Music! program and the KSO's Burdick-Thorne String Quartet, which includes Julia Neckerman and Lisa A. Williams on violin, Grace Byrd on viola and David Peshlakai on cello. They were accompanied by Raymond Harvey on piano. The meeting was adjourned and a short Board of Directors meeting followed recognizing the KSO Board Officers for 2016.

Dr. Janice M. Brown, Board Chair of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, stated, "It is great to see how our wonderful working Board of Directors has significantly grown over the last couple of years and how the excitement of our symphony orchestra and its wonderful musicians has been the driver for this."

"Our Board of Directors is really the administrative and financial heartbeat of the organization," said Peter H. Gistelinck, President & CEO of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. "With about 33 members in place, we feel very confident that we are covering all our bases."

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Stephen Blackwood originally hails from St. Thomas, Jamaica, West Indies. Stephen grew up and attended school in Monterey, California. While studying business management at California State University, he worked full time as a crew member at McDonald's. This became the launching point for his advancement at the McDonald's Corporation. He is now a franchisee having acquired two McDonald's restaurants in the Detroit area, after working internationally for McDonald's for over twenty years. Stephen has worked in Aruba, St. Martin, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, and French West Indies. He now owns four McDonald's restaurants in the greater Kalamazoo area.

Previous to his move to Kalamazoo, Mr. Blackwood opened and managed new McDonald's locations around the world. It's during these travels, especially in New York and Los Angeles, that he developed an appreciation for the arts. He is now excited to put his business expertise and enthusiasm for the arts to work for the KSO. Mr. Blackwood is an active member in the Greater Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce and a generous supporter of his community. He currently sits on several boards including the KJSO (Vice President) and the Park Foundation of Kalamazoo County.

Andy Dominianni is the primary evening anchor on WWMT-TV Newschannel 3, a CBS affiliate serving West Michigan. A graduate of Kalamazoo College, Andy has also held anchor positions at TV stations in Minneapolis, Charlotte and Columbus, Ohio. He has been honored with many journalistic awards, including a 2014 Emmy nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and co-authored "Columbus Italians" for Arcadia Publishing, which details the immigrant experience in Central Ohio. Andy is a frequently requested speaker and emcee in the Kalamazoo area and an active volunteer. He serves as Secretary of the Discover Kalamazoo board of directors, a board member of the Community Healing Center, and is a founding member of the Kalamazoo Italian American Club. He also produces a monthly segment on Newschannel 3 Live at 5 to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan. He enjoys tennis, biking, bocce, jazz and classical musical as well as travel. Andy and his wife, Erin, live in Kalamazoo along with their two children.

Hal B. Jenson, MD, MBA, is Founding Dean of Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, which enrolled its first class in 2014. Dr. Jenson's clinical specialty is pediatric infectious diseases and his research area is molecular virology and epidemiology of Epstein-Barr virus. Dr. Jenson completed undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University and his doctor of medicine degree at George Washington University School of Medicine, followed by pediatric residency at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital at Case Western University, and a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases and epidemiology at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Jenson is a prolific author of professional papers and commentaries and he holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition to many academic appointments at universities and medical centers, Dr. Jenson has served on many Boards including the Board of Directors of the National Resident Matching Program (President) and the Board of Directors of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. He was the inaugural chair of the Integrating Quality Committee of the Association of American Medical Colleges and is an examiner for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Tom Kasdorf has been a member of the Kalamazoo musical community since he joined the faculty of Kalamazoo Central High School in 1958. Subsequently he has been Choral Director at Loy Norrix High School for 26 years, Director of Music at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Parchment Methodist Church, and, for 47 years, at First Presbyterian Church. He has been Music Director at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, MI, adjunct associate professor of music at Western Michigan University, and Music Director and Conductor of the Kalamazoo Singers for 30 years.

Tom's association with the KSO began in 1961 when he was asked to prepare his Loy Norrix High School Mastersingers to be the chorus in a fully staged production of Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors", which featured members of the original TV cast. Since then, he has prepared choruses for the KSO on more than 50 occasions: choruses which include the Loy Norrix High School Choir, First Presbyterian Church Choir, Western Michigan University's Grand Chorus, the Kalamazoo Singers, and ad hoc community choruses formed for specific occasions (Bicentennial Chorus, FlowerFest Chorus, FourthFest Chorus, Home for the Holidays Chorus, and numerous opera choruses for both fully staged and semi-staged opera productions and other choral/orchestral works.) He looks forward to his new role as a KSO Board Member as a way to continue his support for our fine orchestra.

Scott E. McIntyre is Director of Engineering Project Management (Global) and Site Leader for the Kalamazoo location of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions.

Mr. McIntyre was recently transferred to Kalamazoo, MI from Robert Bosch GmbH in Plochingen, Germany where he and his wife, Sherrie, were located since April 2013. Prior to this, they lived in Carpinteria, CA where Mr. McIntyre worked for Bosch Automotive Service Solutions in Santa Barbara, CA since 1993. Mr. McIntyre has extensive experience in engineering management including talent acquisition and development, budgeting, planning, execution and deployment of new products to customers world-wide. He holds a BA (Physics) from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in Scientific Instrumentation, also from UC Santa Barbara. He has extensive international experience including living and working in Germany from April 2013 - October 2015.

He and his wife have long enjoyed classical music and performing arts as long-time season subscribers to the Community Arts Music Association in Santa Barbara. As a new member to the Kalamazoo community, Mr. McIntyre looks forward to an opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of KSO in a meaningful way.

Jack Nelligan is a Vice President of Private Banking for Chemical Bank of Michigan working out of the Kalamazoo office. His is responsible for private banking, investment, and financial planning services and advice for select clients in the region. He has been involved in banking for more than twenty-five years as a private banker, relationship manager, and commercial real estate lender. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Oakland University. He currently holds his FINRA Series 7 & Series 66 securities licenses as well as being a registered NMLS mortgage loan originator. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Battle Creek Boys & Girls Club since 2010.

Diane Robertson is a native Michigander but moved to California in the early 60's and lived there for over 40 years. Diane enjoyed the years spent on the west coast but soon tired of the overcrowding and impersonal attitude of many people. She decided it was time to "come back home." Ten years ago, she moved to Kalamazoo and never once regretted her decision to return to Michigan. Ms. Robertson soon became involved with our community, enjoying being able to help some very worthwhile causes and, especially, being a huge fan and supporter of the Kalamazoo Symphony. Diane enjoys her home, the many lovely friendships she's made, cooking, reading and her sweet pussycats, Alex and Milo. Diane is honored to be asked once again to join the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Board, having enjoyed her previous board tenure, and promises to do her best to again be a good steward of this responsibility.

Laura Van Popering is the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition for MPI Research, Mattawan Michigan. She was previously President and founder of VPML Executive Search Inc., and possesses 25 years of executive level Recruiting and Human Resources experience.

Laura is a former cellist and played through high school at Grand Rapids Christian, performing with St. Cecilia. She also attended Calvin College.

Relocating to Kalamazoo in 1989, Laura has served on many non-profits boards, including President of Board of Directors, for MRC Industries, Child Care Resources and The Park Club of Kalamazoo. Mrs. Van Popering has been married for 30 years to her husband, Larry and they have one daughter.

Jack Van Slambrouck is a partner with the law firm of Miller Canfield where he co-leads the firm's Trusts and Estates Practice Group. He is currently a member of the Park Club Board of Directors (President 2014-15); the American Cancer Society, National Professional Advisors; the Reformed Church of America, Commission on Judicial Business; the Kalamazoo Christian School Foundation Board (President 2003-2006), and Centerpoint Church, where he serves as the Chairman of the Endowment Committee. Jack is also a past member of the Teen Heart Board of Directors and the West Michigan University Foundation. Jack and his wife, Mary, have lived in Kalamazoo for the past 29 years. They have four children and nine grandchildren. Jack enjoys skiing, sailing and fly fishing.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support.

For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

ABOUT THE KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

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