Bios of the 2024 TCC Board of Directors
PRESIDENT: Emily Ore, Soprano
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2024]
Emily is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and she joined TCC for the 2022 Fall season (Aug 2022) as a soprano to pursue her hobby of singing and to meet new people. Outside of work and singing, Emily’s hobbies include traveling, spending time at the beach, going to sporting events, and theater.
Emily works as a Senior Project Manager in the Financial Industry. Her professional background has developed and honed excellent relationship management skills and the ability to adapt quickly to shifting circumstances. As a highly collaborative, communicative and results-oriented project manager, she is at ease with organizing project milestones, implementing carefully strategized plans and propelling her team to successful outcomes.
VICE PRESIDENT: Deb Northrop, Tenor
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2024]
Deb has been involved with TCC for more than 20 years. She became a member the moment she watched the love of her life direct a group of beautiful TCC singers in concert.
She has competed with the Sweet Adelines Enchanted Mesa Show Chorus, Scottsdale Chorus and Southwest Vocal Project. She had held several positions from Team Coordinator and Secretary to Visual team member and Make Up member. She has worked in the education field for 19 years.
Currently she sings with the Wicked Pitch of the West A Cappella Women’s Group, serves on the TCC music team, and show committee. She is the Administrative Assistant to the Online Nursing Division for a Private Post-Secondary Education College working with auditors, compliance teams, and leadership support.
In my spare time, I like to spend time with my beautiful 7 grandchildren.
TREASURER: Judi Schlieter, Tenor
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2024]
Judi loves singing with TCC, and is happy to be back for a new season!
After becoming a member of Sweet Adeline’s Phoenix Kachina Chorus in 1987, she performed and competed with several choruses, including Phoenix Showcase, Celebrity City Chorus, and Scottsdale Chorus. Over the years, she served on several committees including: costuming, make up, choreography, music committee, and show committee. She has also served on the board several times over the years, and would love the opportunity to serve on the TCC board.
Judi retired from SRP after 30 years, where she worked as a customer service supervisor, and a billing specialist. She now spends her time bowling, playing golf, and singing with TCC, and Wicked Pitch of the West.
SECRETARY: Kristi Christofferson, Alto
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2025]
Kristi is a native of Arizona and joined TCC in the fall of 2018. Kristi was a member of the TCC board in 2019/2020 and has decided to get involved again. In her spare time, Kristi also sings with a women’s A Capella group, Wicked Pitch of the West where she serves as Business Manager and Social Media Lead. Kristi also loves to travel and loves spending time with her loved ones.
In her professional career Kristi works as an Account Manager for a large Pharmacy Benefit Management company where she manages the day to day functionality and relationship of Health Plan clients with the PBM. In addition she is also responsible for leading projects and building teams to support clients.
BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE
Joanne Courville, Soprano
[Term 2 Ends Dec 31, 2025]
Encouraged to become a member of Tempe Community Chorus, I joined in January 2019 as a soprano. All my life, I have been involved in music, whether singing in school, church choirs, musical productions, or during my years of studying piano.
Singing has always been a lifelong passion for me. After pursuing music performance at the university and community college, I was led to take my love of singing to a higher level. In the Phoenix area, I sang in community choruses at Mesa and Chandler/Gilbert Community Colleges starting in 2007. Performing with a group of choral members who are excited about learning new music and performance techniques, as well as developing new friendships, has been a real plus within TCC.
My professional work, including training and development, health/wellness issues, and working with the food industry, has allowed me to spend many years serving on boards and committees in various leadership capacities for business/industry, governmental agencies, and non-profits.
For the past two years, I’ve served on the TCC Board of Directors as a Member At Large. My efforts were focused on the Grant Committee, since I spent years overseeing procurement and developing contracts for large organizations and private vendors. It has been a great growth experience and very fulfilling to serve with hardworking and committed volunteers. Right now, new possibilities for TCC exist, so I’d welcome the opportunity to continue building on the foundation that the Board has worked hard to develop.
Chelsea Freund, Soprano 1
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2025]
I am brand new to TCC as of Fall of 2023, but not new to singing. I previously took vocal performance classes with instructors at Chandler Gilbert Community College, and have experience in musical performance productions. I attended a high school for the arts in Minnesota with my major being theater, but also played three instruments, danced, wrote, and studied visual arts as well. I am grateful to have found TCC and am pretty sure my neighbors are thrilled, since they probably prefer me to sing loudly elsewhere, especially when volume and repetition are involved.
If there is any free time to be had, Chelsea likes to bake and cook with recipes that unapologetically use real butter. She enjoys stand-up comedy and live music, and dresses that make a statement.
Jay Moore, Tenor
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2024]
I've been a part of the Tempe Community Chorus since 2016 and am still part of the awesome Tenor section. In this new normal, it is just as important as before to continue to build upon a great community which leads me to my request to be a member of the board. I have served once previously but please don't hold that against me. I enjoy giving back to this Chorus as much as possible.
Daryl Pounders, Tenor
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2024]
I am a current Mesa resident, and I am proud to say that I am product of the Mesa Public School system and a US Marine.
I have loved music and singing since I was young. In high school, I was drum major and jammed on the Saxophone in jazz and concert band.
In college, I focused my attention to conducting and education. Here, I enjoyed broadening my skills in all brass, percussion and woodwinds and also fine-tuned my voice and ear while singing in the acapella choir. We successfully completed annual tours with the choir and bands around the state of Arizona and the Chihauhau State in Mexico.
Most recently, and specifically in the last 10 years, I been involved within my community by taking on a volunteer role as the choir director at my church as well as actively participating in developing lesson plans and activities for local youth programs in my area.
My wife, Kathy, and I are excited to have found TCC through our fantastic and AMAZING, dear, dear friend Aimee. It’s been great to be able to sing and make music with a group again while enjoying one of my many hobbies and passions with all of whom I‘ve recently met. I am happy to serve on the TCC board and continue to serve my community.
Nancy Read, Alto
[Term 2 Ends Dec 31, 2025]
I am a TCC Alto 2. I joined TCC in 2017 upon the break up and dissolution of the San Tan Chorale where I served on their Board. I was recruited to join TCC by Alto 1 Bev Rouscup. Bev invited 4 of us to join TCC and we did! The 4 of us were welcomed with open arms as we became the newbie Alto 2’s. We loved the singing, the practices, the concerts and Cary’s direction. I now truly miss the group singing during TCC’s hiatus and look forward to resuming singing, when determined as safely to do so.
I have years and years of experience in leadership and serving on Boards and Commissions: City Councilmember and Vice-Mayor of a CA municipality, retired staff member to a CA Member of Congress, Board of Directors CA Golden Gate Bridge District in San Francisco, Board member Girls and Boys Club, PTA President and Little League Team Mom.
Since relocating to AZ in 2000, I retired in 2016 from the AZ Secretary of State’s office in the capacity of statewide Campaign Finance Manager. I now have the time, interest and desire to help TCC get back up and running, to invite all returning TCC members back and work to the benefit of all who wish to participate in TCC at any level.
Miki (Michaela) Safadi, Alto
[Term 2 Ends: Dec 31, 2024]
I’ve been a member of TCC for at least 8 years. I really enjoy singing under Cary’s direction and appreciated the Board’s role in making the chorus function smoothly. So last year I pitched in to help out with more than just a voice. Working with the Board members has made me admire my chorus colleagues more than ever. What a wonderful group, so invested in the success of TCC. I’m looking forward to continuing on the Board!
Sarah Saucedo, Soprano
[Term 1 Ends Dec 31, 2025]
Singing is a lifelong passion for Sarah, who first joined choir in elementary school and continued through high school and college. Starting in Fall 2023, Sarah proudly joined Tempe Community Chorus to continue her singing journey.
Sarah was heavily involved in campus organizing at Arizona State University which opened the door for her to serve on the board of directors for a civil rights organization and a local harm reduction collective fighting the overdose epidemic. In 2019 she joined AmeriCorps NCCC, performing national and community service in California and Hawaii. Currently she is an analyst with a policy and government affairs firm.
Sarah is skilled at executing objectives, conducting research and analysis, and working on a team. She is thrilled to now serve the TCC community on the board of directors. Outside of TCC, she and her partner Ian enjoy hiking, cooking, and spending time with family.
