EXECUTIVE TEAM
ALLISON COTTRELL
Communications & Web Director
Allison Cottrell is the director of choirs at Cleveland High School in SE Portland and the Chancel Choir director at the First United Methodist Church in Portland. She is the Executive Director of Nexus Vocal Ensemble, a vocalist in Oregon Repertory Singers and records with Oregon Catholic Press. Allison has a Bachelors in Vocal Performance and two Masters degrees, a Masters of Art in Teaching and Masters of Music in Conducting. Allison was a graduate teacher assistant of Choral Music at Portland State University for Dr. Ethan Sperry and Debra Glaze from 2016-2018. Her passion is building healthy choral communities and inspiring lifelong participation in music.
CAROL STEWART-SMITH
Treasurer
Carol received her music degree from Whitworth University with a minor in arts administration. Soon after graduation she was called to serve as Music Director for St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Portland Oregon where she served for almost 40 years. While at St. Mark she taught music classes, conducted joint choirs and developed a Sing Your Own Messiah concert. Carol’s specialty is music for small church choirs. NWACDA President Tom Miller was the first to ask her to serve as treasurer. Following presidents have asked her to continue that work. Carol says “It is a pleasure and privilege to work with so many gifted and giving people.”
HOWARD MEHARG
Historian
Howard Meharg has served as newsletter and website editor for NWACDA for the past 25 years. He has been a member of ACDA since about 1963, serving as president of WA ACDA twice, in 1966 and again in 1996. He directed high school and middle school choirs in Kelso and Longview from 1961 through 1996. He holds a Masters degree in education from Western Washington University. Howard is co-founder of Male Ensemble Northwest (1982) and founded Chor Anno, a 32 voice choir made up of some of the NW’s finest singers and choral directors, in 2009. Both groups still perform regularly each year. He shares the conducting of Chor Anno with music director, Dr. Nicole Lamartine