Found below are the statements for the candidates for the current Board of Directors election. Board members elected here will serve on the board for the years 2025-2026. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Online voting will open on December 6th and will remain open through 11:59pm on December 23th.
Will McDonald
My primary interest is to nurture the contra dances in Santa Fe in Albuquerque by bringing in more dancers and creating a community spirit that makes the dances fun for everyone. Our dances are uncommon events where people of all ages have fun together in a centuries old tradition. I believe with some effort we can help people find us to join our dances and become part of a special community.
Clara Byom
Hi all! I am a musician, dancer, and interdisciplinary researcher focusing on perception of groove in social folk dance music. I served on the NM FolkMADS Board from 2016-2021 as Vice President and President. During that time I focused on outreach and pay equity for dance camp musicians. I continue to play for dances (English Country and Contra) with The Parson Sisters and co-organize the Sage Assembly English Country Dance Ball. If elected, I will continue to serve as a musician and organizer, but also plan to return with a commitment to outreach and fundraising. I continue to envision a vibrant community with a growing and supportive membership, thriving dance camps, and inspired musicians and dancers. In addition to my experience in the community and past experience on the FolkMADS Board, I bring organizational skills from my roles as Co-Director of the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble and Development Director for the Klezmer Institute. I am currently a PhD Student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, but the New Mexico music and dance communities are my home and inspiration for my research. While my time will admittedly be somewhat limited, I am hoping that I can provide support for the current members of the board and stay closely connected with the dance community I love. I would be honored to be a part of the Board again. Thank you! – Clara Byom
Steven Hunyady
Simple. Sound guy for FolkMADS-ABQ (since 2022) and abqfolkfest.org (since 2016). Retired, living in Albuquerque with Ruby, my wife. I’m not a dancer, but I have come to enjoy being a part of this community. I find fulfillment in having a peculiar skill that supports dancing to live music. And, I think I have as much fun as the dancers. Since sound reinforcement is fundamental to several activities and events for Albuquerque Folk Festival and FolkMADS, I have been consulted by board members of both organizations for as long as I’ve been involved with them.
We are still emerging from the COVID era; we need to carry on but remain willing to try new ideas. I’m especially interested in Family Dances and music/events that might attract young dancers.
Betsy Lombardi
I have been an enthusiastic dancer since the beginning of FolkMADS. I have introduced friends to the joys of contradancing and English country dancing. Each year I attend the Boo Camp and FolkMADness.
If elected to the board of directors, I would like to help with outreach because people of all ages could benefit from the smiles and laughter that we generate on the dance floor. I want to help this organization thrive!
I hold the deepest appreciation for the wonderful people who continue to organize the dance camps, share their musical talents, take care of finances, call the dances, schedule the bands, manage our sound systems, and do the myriad of tasks to support New Mexico FolkMADS. Thank you for considering my application to become part of this vital team!
Jennifer Crawford
I would like to serve on the NM FolkMADS Board of Directors to contribute to the organization that taught me to contra dance over ten years ago and continues to connect me to friends and community. I have served as the FolkMADS social media manager for nearly two years and have been the Family Dance chair since the spring, leading the effort to grow and maintain this newest edition to our dance series. The Family Dance has helped dancers with young children, including my family, return to dancing, while also building a community of regulars who were not previously familiar with our organization. We also have had great success building a partnership with a local elementary school, where we’ll co-host a second dance in 2025. This was not an easy partnership to establish but certainly worth continued investment to bring folk dance and music to a broader audience. I hope FolkMADS will focus in the next few years on strengthening and nurturing our volunteer network, increasing coordination and shared events across the organization, and strategic planning for the sustainability of FolkMADS over the next 5-10 years. I plan to continue as Family Dance chair and social media manager; these roles will be further supported by serving on the Board. I bring to these efforts professional experience in grant writing, budget development and management, evaluation and quality improvement, project coordination, and helping others solve complex problems. On a personal level, I bring a deep appreciation for the mission of FolkMADS and a hope that it will continue to thrive.