Andrea Handley
It’s that time of year again! This year, we are replacing 2 people who will be completing their 3-year terms on the board: Lee Nelson and Royce Eckhardt. Thanks to both Lee and Royce, who have added their ideas, energy, and humor to the board. A third board member whose term ends in 2016 is Philip McPeek. But since Philip was serving the last year of a premature resignation, we have asked him to run for another 3-year term, and he has agreed. A big thanks to Evan Duvall for all his work chairing the nominating committee!
Please review below Philip’s bio, as well as the two new candidates for the board: Richard Leasure and Barry Wenger. And then vote by May 18 by following this link: http://northshoreago.org/2016-2017-nsago-board-slate/. When you follow this link you may be be asked to login with your username/password for the northshoreago.org site. If you have problems with this, please email webmaster@northshoreago.org.
Thank you for your participation. And please join us at our May 22 members’ recital and annual banquet and meeting to meet our new board members and renew your friendships with colleagues!
Andrea Handley, Dean
BOARD CANDIDATES:
Richard Leasure
Richard Leasure attended Westminster College ( Pennsylvania ) and Northwestern University where he earned his B.M. and M.M. in church music with an organ major. After 35 years of an information technology career, and continuous part-time organist and organist/director positions, he’s had the best of both worlds. After seven years as organist at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, he “retired” in 2014 and has been active as a substitute organist since then. An AGO member since college, and as a dual member of the Fox Valley and North Shore AGO chapters, Richard is looking forward to being more involved, especially after IT retirement in a few years.
Philip McPeek
Philip McPeek serves as the Minister of Music at Faith Lutheran Church of Arlington Heights, IL, where he plays organ and directs vocal and bell choirs. He is currently completing an M. M. in Music Theory at Northwestern University. Philip holds Bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern in Music Theory and Religious Studies and studies organ with Margaret Kemper. Philip previously served for three years as the Director of Music at University Lutheran Church in Evanston, IL. In his spare time, Philip is an avid, improving contract bridge player.
Barry Wenger
Barry J. Wenger is Organist and Director of Handbell Choirs at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. Barry has been a professional church musician for more than 25 years, beginning in his home state of North Dakota then to Kansas City, Missouri, and more recently to the greater Chicago area. Barry has a DMA from the Conservatory of Music at UMKC, an MM from the University of North Dakota, both in Organ Performance, and a BSE in K-12 Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Organ and Piano Performance from Minot State University. He has been involved with AGO since 1994 and helped to found the Chapter in Grand Forks, ND. He was Dean of the Greater Kansas City Chapter and organized their concert series and their annual 6-hour Bachathon concert. Barry is a promoter of new music for organ and has helped to fundraise and refurbish many pipe organs across several states.