Board of Directors
ONNY’s Board of Directors is comprised of: from left to right, seated: Kimberly Busch, Hannawa Falls, ONNY Vice President and Board Development Committee chair, and Vocal Music and Technical Theater Teacher at Canton Central School; Timothy L. Savage, Canton, ONNY President, Director of Bands, Grades 7-12 at Canton Central School, Improv Lab Director and Private Lesson Instructor at St. Lawrence University, and Jazz Ensemble Director at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. Standing: Jeremy Carney, Potsdam, ONNY Fundraising Committee chair and co-owner/founder of Brick & Mortar Music in Potsdam; Michael Greenwald, Canton, retired Associate Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus, St. Lawrence University; Rebecca Weissman, Potsdam, ONNY Social Media Coordinator and Director of Alumni Giving at SUNY Potsdam; John J. Gray Jr., Colton, ONNY Finance Committee chair and Managing Partner of CPA firm, Gray & Gray and Associates, Canton, Massena, Potsdam and Spring Hill, FL; Victoria L. Day, Hermon, Principal of East Side Elementary School in Gouverneur; Marc Boyer, Ogdensburg, Marketing & Publicity Committee chair and retired librarian at Ogdensburg Public Library; Mary Jane Watson, South Colton, ONNY Treasurer and retired CPA and founding partner of Pinto Mucenski Watson, P.C., in Potsdam; Steve Bateman, Lisbon, retired Registered Nurse and health care worker; Adrienne Hartman, Potsdam, ONNY Secretary, School teacher at Madison Elementary in Massena Central School District; Michael Sitton, Potsdam, Dean, The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam; and John Goloski, Theresa, Music Teacher at Indian River Central School. Missing from photo: Vernice Church, Canton, retired superintendent of Afton Central School District; Michael Draper, Brasher Falls, Music Teacher at JW Leary Junior High, Massena Central School District; and John Ellis, Potsdam, ONNY’s Principal Trumpet and Musicians’ Representative, Professor of Trumpet at The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, Potsdam.
| Timothy Savage | President | Canton, NY | |
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Timothy Savage is the Director of Bands Grade 7-12 at Canton Central School. He also serves in an adjunct capacity at the Crane School of Music and in the St. Lawrence University Music Department. Tim became involved with the Orchestra when wife Jill joined the violin section in 1992. He has served as board president since October 2011. |
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| Kimberly Busch | Vice President, President-Elect | Hannawa Falls, NY | |
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Kimberly Busch currently teaches Vocal Music and Technical Theater at Canton Central School. A graduate of the Crane School of Music, Kimberly has been teaching music and directing plays and musicals in public schools for over twenty years. Her love of symphonic music and a desire to give back to the community led her to the position of ONNY Volunteer Guild President. She is proud to serve on the ONNY board and encourages everyone to invest in live music by attending concerts and bringing friends! |
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| Mary Jane Watson | Treasurer | South Colton, NY | |
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Mary Jane Watson is a retired Certified Public Accountant and was a founding partner of Pinto, Mucenski & Watson, PC located in Potsdam. She received a B.A from Elmira College in Classical Languages, an M.S. from Clarkson University in Accounting, and an M.S. from McGill University in History. She joined the Board of the Orchestra of Northern New York in 1995. |
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| Adrienne Hartman | Secretary | Potsdam, NY | |
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Adrienne Hartman is an elementary school teacher in the Massena Central School district, and a long-time arts advocate. She served as co-chair of the Potsdam Music Friends for many years, and has been a volunteer for the New York State School Music Association Regional Festival, the Potsdam PTA, and the Orchestra of Northern New York. Adrienne is honored to have the opportunity to serve the Orchestra of Northern New York, an important piece of our North Country fabric. |
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| Steve Bateman | Ogdensburg, NY | ||
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Steve Bateman is a retired health care worker from St. Lawrence County with a great appreciation for orchestral music. He is an integral part of the production crew and serves on ONNY's Finance and Fundraising Committees. |
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| Marc Boyer | Ogdensburg, NY | ||
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Marc Boyer lives in Ogdensburg, New York. He received degrees from Walsh College (BA) and Syracuse University (MLS). He is a retired librarian from the Ogdensburg Public Library. A generous donor to ONNY's Music Fund, Marc is pleased to join the ONNY board. |
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| Jeremy Carney | Potsdam, NY | ||
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Jeremy Carney is the co-owner and co-founder of Brick & Mortar Music, in downtown Potsdam. He brings over 20 years of music industry experience to the orchestra, as well as a devoted focus on the school music programs in the north country. He and his wife Allison, who together opened Brick & Mortar Music in 2015, live in Potsdam where they have dedicated their lives to supporting small business, the arts, and music education. He is chair of the Fundraising Events Committee. |
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| Vernice Church | Norwood, NY | ||
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Vernice Church moved back to the scene of her Bachelor's degree upon retiring as Superintendent of Schools in Afton, NY. She earned a Master's degree in Educational Administration at Syracuse University and is definitely not a musician. She served, however, as President of the Board of Directors of the Orchestra for several years in order to help provide the live music experience still needed in this electronic age. |
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| Victoria Day | Hermon, NY | ||
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Victoria Day is currently the East Side Elementary School co-principal in the Gouverneur Central School District. Vicki received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from the Crane School of Music and a Master's in Educational Administration from St. Lawrence University. Vicki has served on both the Crane Alumni Board and the Community Performance Series board prior to joining the ONNY board in 2017. |
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| John Ellis | Potsdam, NY | ||
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A native of Chicago Illinois, John Ellis has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. He holds the degree of Doctor of Music from Arizona State University. A versatile performer and educator, Dr. Ellis has appeared with a variety of musical organizations and artists, including the Canadian Brass, the Moody Blues, Calgary Philharmonic, Les Violons du Roy, Chris Botti, Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal, as well as Grammy Award winners David Clayton-Thomas, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and Anne Murray. He performs frequently with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada, and has been heard internationally on broadcasts by the CBC and PBS. He has presented clinics and recitals at prestigious institutions and festivals throughout the world, including The Juilliard School, Cincinnati Conservatory, Summit Brass, the Banff Festival, and the 2005 International Trumpet Guild Festival in Bangkok Thailand. He performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles with Les Violons du Roy for their 25th anniversary tour in December 2009. Currently Principal Trumpet of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Northern New York, a member of the Capital BrassWorks and the Potsdam Brass Quintet, Dr. Ellis holds the position of Professor of Music at The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam where he teaches trumpet and the history of Rock and Roll. Dr. Ellis is a Yamaha Performing Artist. He is the musicians representative on the board. |
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| John J Gray Jr. | Colton, NY | ||
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John J. Gray Jr. is a managing partner of Gray & Gray and Associates with offices in Canton, Potsdam, Massena and Spring Hill, FL. He worked as Vice President for Finance and Information Systems in area hospitals for 18 years, including Canton-Potsdam Hospital (8 years) and Adirondack Medical Center (10 years). He also was the Fiscal Officer for the Diocese of Ogdensburg for seven years. John is the chair of the ONNY Finance Committee. |
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| Dr. Michael Greenwald | Canton, NY | ||
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Dr. Michael Greenwald is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus who retired after 28 years at St. Lawrence University. Originally from Kingston, New York, Dr. Greenwald earned his B.A. in astronomy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1970, a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1973 where he was ordained “rabbi” in 1975. He earned his Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins at Boston University in 1989. His academic focus is the history of the New Testament Canon. In what he calls his “other life,” he is also an avid birder who has travelled to many parts of the world looking for birds and has served for 39 years as a volunteer naturalist for the Appalachian Mountain Club, most recently training hut naturalists in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. His membership on the board is the culmination of a life-long interest in classical music. |
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| Michael Sitton | Potsdam, NY | ||
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Michael Sitton, a native of North Carolina, has served since 2009 as Dean of The Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. He held previous appointments as Dean of Fine Arts at Eastern New Mexico University, and professor, department chair and administrator at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. Retiring from Crane in May 2020, he has brought an important perspective to board meetings. |
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| Rebecca Weissman | Potsdam, NY | ||
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Rebecca Weissman is a classically trained clarinetist with professional experience in arts management, non-profit fundraising, and marketing and communications for the music industry. She is graduate of Ithaca College (B.S. ’95) and the Eastman School of Music (M.A. ’06) Rebecca is also a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 443, and has performed as a bass clarinetist with orchestras throughout New York State. |
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