Roger Moss, Artist Director and Co-Founder
Rogers
Moss, Jr. is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee where he received
numerous awards for civic and artistic accomplishments. He attended
Wheaton College and sang in the Wheaton College Concert Choir and Men’s
Glee Club. His extensive performance career has included singing for
the Archbishop of Canterbury, singing to sold out crowds with the
Savannah Symphony Orchestra and performing the role of “Jake” in the
Opera Memphis production of Porgy and Bess. He was a finalist in the
American Traditions vocal competition.
Moss’ aim when
co-founding the Savannah Children’s Choir was to create a positive way
for Savannah’s children to represent their community and showcase
positive accomplishments. Also, through education and performance, to
instill in the next generation love of the beauty and variety of
American music. His boundless energy and enthusiasm are an inspiration
to all who work with him, as is his life philosophy, which is “You can
never dream too big!”
Cuffy Sullivan, Managing Director and Co-Founder
Growing
up in Rochester, New York, Sullivan was part of an intensely musical
environment, with music part of every aspect of her life; family,
church and school. She moved to Savannah in 1983 to become one of the
“oldest living graduates” of the Savannah College of Art and Design,
graduating in 1986 with a degree in Historic Preservation. After
working for over 13 years in the field of downtown revitalization, a
career that took her all over the country with the National Trust for
Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center, Sullivan returned
to Savannah to settle with her husband, Justin, and to start a family,
which now includes a three girls, ages 7 and twins age 4. She has her
own professional organizing business, and consults with a variety of
organizations.
With Roger Moss, she founded the choir in 2006 in
order to give her children—and the children of Savannah—a chance to
experience music in the way she did as a child.
In addition to
working with the choir, Sullivan also founded, sings with, and serves
as Managing Director of the Ensemble Con Spirito, Savannah’s women’s
sacred music ensemble, and in 2007 worked with the Goliards, a medieval
music ensemble, as a soloist for their program titled La Sirena de la
Mar: Songs of the Sephardic Jews.
John Tisbert, Associate Director
John
Tisbert, a National Board Certified Teacher, has taught Vocal and
General Music at the middle school level for the past twenty-five
years, and is currently director of choral music at Shuman Middle
School. He has a Master of Arts in Music Education with an emphasis on
the Orff Approach from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, and
a Bachelor of Music degree from the Crane School of Music, State
University of Arts and Sciences, Potsdam, NY.
John has
presented Computer Assisted Composition sessions and vocal
improvisation workshops at a variety of notable music education
conferences, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, John
has conducted a number of Middle and High School District Honors
Choruses throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and Georgia
As a
performer John sang with the Vermont Opera Theater and works as a
freelance trumpet player. He can also be heard singing and playing
trumpet with “Eat Mo Music,” a soul and funk jazz band.
Anne Beetem Acker, Accompanist
Anne
Acker is a full time Historic Keyboard Specialist based in Savannah,
Georgia and the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania. Much of her work
has grown out of her quest for a selection of keyboards for her own
collection and study. As a member of the Piano Technicians Guild, and
the Music Teachers National Association she is a regular published
author and lecturer, teaching modern piano technicians and a wider
public about historic pianos and harpsichords. She taught piano from
the age of 16 until recently, when her travel and work schedule
precluded a regular teaching schedule .
As a performer, she
has played and recorded with several professional choirs, soloists and
chamber groups. In 2007, her solo performance at the Savannah Music
Festival on harpsichord and fortepiano was sponsored by the Georgia
Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition to restoring and consulting,
speaking, and writing about the restoration, history and values of 18th
and 19th century pianos, she professionally builds, appraises, restores
and decorates harpsichords, clavichords and fortepianos and is the east
coast U.S. representative for The Paris Workshop. A sought after early
keyboard technician, she has clients all along the east coast of North
America.
Jennifer Dickinson, President
Jennifer Dickinson is an attorney at Hunter Maclean.
Ms.
Dickinson is a member of the American Bar Association, the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, and is president-elect of the Savannah Bar
Association, as well as serving as editor of the Savannah Bar Association newsletter.
In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Dickinson is a past chair of the Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens, and serves as Artistic Director for
Ensemble Con Spirito, an ecumenical women’s vocal ensemble. Ms. Dickinson has been actively involved in
the Truancy Intervention Project in Chatham County.
Ms. Dickinson graduated from Jacksonville University with a
Bachelor of Music Degree where she was a presidential scholar,
recipient of the Frederick Delius Scholarship, and a member of Omicron
Delta Kappa and Green Key. She received her Juris Doctor from Emory
University School of Law. During law school, Ms. Dickinson was
the Tennenbaum Scholar, received several awards for her achievements in
oral advocacy and was a Managing Editor of the Emory Law Journal.
Laura Garcia-Culler, Treasurer
Ms. Garcia-Culler serves as executive vice president and chief operating
officer at the Georgia Historical Society.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, she
has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Prior to
her work in Savannah, she was deputy director for operations with the
National Immigration Forum on Capitol Hill; an English professor in
Spain and a consultant for a firm handling Department of Defense
contracts in Washington.
"I'm involved in the SCC because I believe in helping small nonprofits to be well-run and compliant in terms of financial, legal, operational, development and other business matters. Strength in these areas leads to increased financial support which makes it possible to create additional programs and opportunities for the children we aim to help."
Jacquelyn Stathis, Secretary
With over 15 years experience in the health & fitness industry, Jacqie works as a full time consultant and the National Pilates Director for YogaWorks in Los Angeles. She is an experienced group exercise instructor and private trainer, holds numerous certifications in the field, and has presented extensively on health and fitness issues across the nation.
Jacqie graduated cum laude from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in Modern Dance and has studied with many noted choreographers and teachers. She has been a faculty member of several dance studios in the Northeast, teaching tap, jazz and modern dance and has created and taught fitness classes for health clubs throughout the country which combine dance and fitness.
Ms. Stathis is excited to be a part of the Savannah Children’s Choir, experiencing personally how much the organization can inspire children to love and appreciate music at an early age when her oldest daughter Abby (4) participated in the 2008 Summer Mini-Choral Camp.
Jerry Braddy
More soon!
Jody Espina
Jody Espina is the founder and president of JodyJazz Saxophone & Clarinet Mouthpieces, and is a highly regarded Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and educator.
Mr. Espina served as the Director of the Jazz Department at the Hoff Barthelson Music School in Scarsdale, New York, and was adjunct professor of Saxophone and Clarinet at Concordia College in Bronxville, New York.
Prior to this, Espina was Professor of saxophone, clarinet and flute, and the Director of the Big Band at the Aula de Musica i Moderna Jazz in Barcelona, Spain. Additionally, he is a conductor in the musical sign language system called Sound Painting.
Mr. Espina has been involved with the Grammys In The Schools Program, bringing performing artists to inner city schools and has written and performed "What Is Jazz?", an educational concert for children.
After majoring in classical clarinet at the University of South Florida, Espina transferred to Berklee College of Music where he won a Phil Woods Performance Scholarship. Espina graduated magne cum laude with a degree in Performance.
Phyllis Hayes
More soon!
Josh Keller
More soon!
Brian Orr
Brian Orr is Senior Vice President at Citigroup, an investment management company.
Hart Williford
S. Hart Williford jis senior vice president of administration at Memorial University Medical Center. He oversees
the Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute, marketing
and public relations, information services, the Memorial Health
Foundation, government relations, regional development, and business
development. Before joining the senior leadership team, Williford
was a member of MUMC's board of directors and president of Morris
Technology, a high-tech company that automates broadcast and media
industries.
Williford is active in the community and
serves as immediate past chairman of the Savannah Music Festival board.
He is past president of the Business, Education, and Technology
Alliance of Southeast Georgia. In addition, he is a member of the
advisory board of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, a United
Way board member, an advisory board member of the School of Information
Technology at Georgia Southern University, a member of the board of
directors for the Savannah Technical College Foundation, a member of
the board of directors of the Skidaway Marine Research Institute, and a
member of the Downtown Rotary Club.
