Greater NY/NJ Region 15 gathered virtually on Facebook Live on Friday, October 23 to celebrate some very special members.
Lori Britt-Horvath and Melissa Prew (Region 15’s Team Coordinator and Membership Coordinator) served as our emcees for the evening. They named our 2020 Golden Members, and were joined by representatives from each of our nineteen chapters to announce this year’s Members of Note.
Click to jump down for more details on these two distinctions, and to see the full list of honorees:
For those who may have missed it, the event was also recorded, and the video and is available on the Greater NY / NJ Region 15 Facebook page.
Congratulations to all of our special honorees!
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Golden Members are those with 50+ Years of Membership with Sweet Adelines International!
50+ Years
Anita Barry • Linda Brown • Pamela Hyde • Connie Kash • Jan McCaskill • Sharon Vitkovsky
55+ Years
Marge Dederbeck • Marilyn Herke • Barbara McKeon • Sonny Steffan • Brenda Strauss
60+ Years
Joyce Brandt • Edie Murphy
65+ Years
Judy Rowell
70+ Years
MaryJo Pardee
Click here to view the presentation slides featuring our Golden Members and Members of Note.
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Each year our choruses have the opportunity to recognize one of their own who goes above and beyond in their service to the chapter. "A Member of Note is someone who works tirelessly for the chapter, has a positive influence on the chapter, and is a great ambassador for the chapter."
These special honorees were selected by their choruses and their names were revealed at our 2020 Member of Note Recognition Celebration on October 23.
Lisa McVey • Capitaland Chorus
Elaine Mattice • City of the Hills Chorus
Kathy Dembek • Evergreen Chorus
Lauren Reid • Golden Apple Chorus
Karen Strong Mullen • Greater Nassau Chorus
Janet Cebula • Harmony Celebration Chorus
Sue Morano • Heart of Long Island Chorus
Vicki Warnock • Heart of New Jersey Chorus
Phyllis Prestamo • Hickory Tree Chorus
Laura Riffaud • Island Hills
Sarita Shaevitz • Jersey Harmony Chorus
Lee Popiolek • Liberty Oak Chorus
Jackie Moss • Long Island Sound Chorus
Lori Porter • Saratoga Soundtrack
Judy Broderick • Seneca Soundwaves Chorus
Haley Cole • Sirens of Gotham
Tom Noble • Song of the Valley Chorus
Kathy Zubal Storrings • Spirit of Syracuse
Asuka Ichikawa • Twin County Chorus
Click here to view the presentation slides featuring all of our Golden Members and the full Member of Note profiles submitted by each chapter.
And here are some excerpts for a quick look at this year’s honorees:
Lisa McVey - Capitaland Chorus
Her positive attitude and contributions to the chorus are immeasurable…. She has contagious enthusiasm, passion, a positive attitude, and love for barbershop.
Elaine Mattice - City of the Hills Chorus
Elaine has been a valuable member of City of the Hills since 2002. Through the years she has taken on leadership roles, always with the best interests of the chorus in mind.
Kathy Dembek - Evergreen Chorus
When there is a job to be done, Kathy always makes herself available to assist in any way that she can... Kathy is our virtual rehearsal host, running countless meetings and making sure rehearsals run smoothly.
Lauren Reid - Golden Apple Chorus
Golden Apple is very lucky that Lauren found our chorus. We are grateful for her dedication, her willingness to take on any job, and for sharing her love of singing.
Karen Strong Mullen - Greater Nassau Chorus
Karen is always there with supportive words, comments, ideas and sees the best in others. She is unselfish and transparent, allowing herself to be vulnerable, which fosters humility and growth.
Janet Cebula - Harmony Celebration Chorus
Janet is a huge asset…. She always goes that extra mile, and does so much, quietly, behind the scenes. She is extremely creative and can be credited with many innovative ideas to help HCC grow!
Sue Morano - Heart of Long Island Chorus
Sue has a special talent for spreading smiles and laughter. Through her wildly entertaining skits, her daily uplifting Facebook posts, and her overall positivity and love… Sue’s efforts have really helped us through.
Vicki Warnock - Heart of New Jersey Chorus
Vicki always goes above and beyond for us and always does it with a smile! Her honest, funny and energized personality makes everyone feel respected, included and informed.
Phyllis Prestamo - Hickory Tree Chorus
Her skills as an administrator and warmth as a people person helped us pave the way for an organized, welcoming on-boarding process. A contributor in so many ways, Phyllis is enthusiastic, respected and admired.
Laura Riffaud - Island Hills
Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of music has helped the chorus improve even during this difficult time as she worked so diligently as an assistant and interim director.
Sarita Shaevitz - Jersey Harmony Chorus
Sarita exudes friendliness! Her warmth and positive attitude are constant and contagious and come from within. She is diligent in being performance-ready and participates in many events throughout the year.
Lee Popiolek - Liberty Oak Chorus
Lee is a very warm-hearted person and a great Ambassador for the Chapter who does what she does for the love of the chorus.
Jackie Moss - Long Island Sound Chorus
[Jackie is] a woman who steps up and steps in, her quiet elegance is proactive and spiritual. Each week she greets her sisters-in-song with clear loving eyes that ask, “How are you? Really?”
Lori Porter - Saratoga Soundtrack
Lori is an invaluable member of Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus and embodies our core values by always leading with positivity, integrity and musical excellence!
Judy Broderick - Seneca Soundwaves Chorus
Judy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our chorus. She is a hard worker and a perfectionist, always willing to explore the nuances of expressing emotion and conveying the story to our audience.
Haley Cole - Sirens of Gotham
Whenever a need arises, no matter how busy she may be, Haley always offers to assist. And Haley wears her heart on her sleeve at just the right moments, helping to make our chorus culture loving and supportive.
Tom Noble - Song of the Valley Chorus
Tom retired as director in January 2020. At that time, he promised to use his musical and technological skills to support us. He is our "go to" person for computer-challenged members. As one member asks, "Where would we be without him?"
Kathy Zubal Storrings - Spirit of Syracuse
If we had to condense Kathy down to one word, it would be “heart”. Always ready with a word of encouragement, always ready to lend a hand, and always ready to help rekindle the flame.
Asuka Ichikawa - Twin County Chorus
Asuka is an ideal member. As one of our most active, talented, and fun-to-be-around members, Asuka sets a perfect example of how a chorus member should share her time and talents.
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