Found below are the statements for the candidates for the 2019-2020 election. They are listed in alphabetical order. Online voting will open on Nov 16th and will remain open through noon on Nov 24th. In person voting will be available at the Santa Fe dance on Nov 24th.
Clara Byom
Hi Friends,
Many of you know me at this point, but briefly – I am the pianist/clarinetist/accordionist/electronic groove wizard for The Parson Sisters, your current FolkMADS Board President, and a member of the Albuquerque Dance Committee, Feedback Committee, Publicity and Outreach Team, and more. I have served on the Board for 4 years and am eager to serve for another term.
While on the Board, it has been my goal to increase our attendees at dances via more consistent publicity, advertising on radio programs, and outreach programming. In the past year, many of those projects have come to fruition and I hope that the results will become evident in the months and year to come. Recently, I am advocating for finding alternate streams of income, especially via grants, which would allow us to compensate our callers, musicians, and sound folks at higher levels and nearer industry standards.
Thank you all for your continued support of FolkMADS. I hope to continue to serve you in the years to come!
Best,
Clara
John Taperek
TO THE CONTRA COMMUNITY AT LARGE
One of my great joys given to me by my membership in NM Folkmads has been the sense of community that I’ve had by that association. If elected to the board, (even if not elected), I will continue to promote our community and actively bring in new people. I mention in conversations with people that I Contra dance and invite them to attend our dances. We all can do this in our daily lives, hoping that new folks might give it a try. I propose that we generate flyers to post around town inviting people to our dances.
I served on the board from 2003-2005 and would be happy to do it again. I ask for your vote because of my history with Folkmads and my ability to see both sides of an issue.
Lindsay Taylor
I am delighted to apply once more to sit on the FolkMADS Board of Directors. I have served as Secretary for the past two years, and during that time I’ve become passionate about FolkMADS investing in its future through encouraging younger audiences to attend dances and participate in megabands and caller-open-mics, and fostering the musical and calling talent in our community. I have worked in the nonprofit sector for the last 15 years and bring my expertise in marketing, fundraising and managing financial systems to the team.
I have also taken over directorship of FolkMADness, and am excited to keep May Camp warm, friendly, welcoming, and above all else, FUN!
Thank you for your consideration!
Lindsay Taylor
Robin Gurule
I have served on the Board of Directors for FolkMADS for the last 2 years and I’ve been Treasurer during most of that time. It has taken me most of that time to really understand all of those duties, but thanks to Nancy Ford’s patience, I think I understand most of it now! I would like the opportunity to continue to serve the BOD as Treasurer. In addition, I book the bands for the Santa Fe dances, I dance in SF whenever possible, and I play piano in the SF Megaband and other local bands.
Roger Landes
Greetings!
I would like to throw my hat in the ring for consideration to join the FolkMADS board. I have decades of experience with nonprofits and founded ZoukFest world music camp (which was in Taos for 3 years, Santa Fe for 3, Ghost Ranch for 1, and Albuquerque for 3 years). I currently sit on the boards of the International Bagpipe Organisation (UK) and the Bagpipe Society (London). I have helped organize and implement the International Bagpipe Conferences in 2018 (Mallorca) and 2020 (Harvard), and created the international conference The Electric Guitar in American Culture at TTU (2018).
I am currently and instructor in the musicology department of the Texas Tech University School of Music in Lubbock, TX. Prior to coming here in 2009 I lived for 10 years in Taos, NM and concertized and taught extensively all over the state, but particularly in Albuquerque and Santa Fe as well as Taos. I oversaw numerous successful grant applications to New Mexico Arts for ZoukFest, and helped manage that nonprofit’s programs, as well as serving as artistic and curriculum director for all the camps from 1998 to 2012 (ZoukFest has been on hiatus since 2012).
As far as vision for FolkMADS, I would need to know more about the other board members and where the organization has been going in the past few years. I have a lot of ideas but would prefer to hear what others’ ideas are first.
Initiatives could be many. International dance camp? World music camp? Etc., etc. Let’s talk!
Thank you,
Roger