Conference Registration Hours
Wed 1:30p-7:30p. Thur. 8a-5p. Fri 8a-5p. Sat. 8a-11a
Lobby, Davenport Grand
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.”
Stan McGill
Conference Manager
Stan McGill taught thirty-three years in secondary choral music education in Texas and Missouri. Professional positions include Texas Music Educators Association Vocal Chair, and President of both TMEA and Southwest American Choral Directors Association. He has served on numerous TMEA, TCDA and ACDA committees including Program Chair for the 2009, 2013 & upcoming 2017 National ACDA Conferences. He is active as an adjudicator, speaker, conductor and clinician throughout the United States. Mr. McGill has had extensive leadership service with ACDA and his articles have been published in the Southwestern Musician, Common Times, Choral Journal, and Texas Sings. He has conducted numerous honor choirs including all state choirs in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. He directed the 2008 SWACDA 8-10 Boys Honor Choir in Kansas City. His choirs have performed nine times for TMEA, SWACDA and National ACDA Conventions and have made three European tours. A native of Sikeston, Missouri, Mr. McGill graduated from William Jewell College and received his master's degree from Arizona State University.
JENS LOVTANG
Historian & Photographer
Jens Lovtang (he/him/his) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, choir teacher, guitar teacher, songwriter, and composer living in Corvallis, Oregon. Born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California, music is a second career for Jens. After studying natural Resources at Humboldt State (now Cal Poly Humboldt) and getting an MS in Fisheries from Oregon State University, he spent over two decades as a fisheries biologist, primarily in the Deschutes River Basin. He went back to school at OSU relatively late in life to get his MAT in Music Ed, and he now teaches Choir at Corvallis High School and just started a new Guitar and Songwriting program at Crescent Valley High School. He also serves as the Director of Music at the Corvallis First United Methodist Church. Jens and his wife Sara, an ecologist, are newly-minted empty nesters, with two college-age daughters moved away from home and pursuing higher education.
MATTHEW MYERS
Membership Chair
Dr. Matthew Myers serves as associate director of choral activities and assistant professor of choral music education at WSU. He conducts the University Singers and Treble Choir and teaches courses in music education methods, conducting, and voice. He earned his DMA in choral conducting at Louisiana State University, his master’s degree in choral conducting at Northern Arizona University, and his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and music education at Luther College. After completing his degree at Luther, he taught grades 6-12 choir at The American International School of Muscat in Oman. For the following five years, he worked as director of choirs and musical theatre at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois. In addition to conducting five choirs, he taught AP music theory, class piano, and critical thinking and coordinated a middle school choral program at four of Boylan’s constituent grade schools. He has served as conductor of the NAU Men’s Chorale and Chamber Singers, the LSU Chamber Singers, the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, and the Flagstaff Youth Chorale and has held church music positions in Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, and Alabama. Prior to his time at WSU, he taught at the University of Alabama, where he conducted two choirs and taught courses in music appreciation, choral literature, vocal pedagogy, and diction. He is a frequent choral clinician, guest conductor, presenter, and adjudicator. He serves as Artistic Director of the Palouse Choral Society and co-host of the Choir Fam Podcast.