Board of Directors

Executive Committee

KAREN HUDSON, PRESIDENT

Karen Hudson is the director of the Choral Department at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, one of three public schools with a student population of about 850 students, in Lethbridge, Alberta. LCI has a long tradition of excellence in choral singing with four choirs; the choirs have been successful on both the Provincial and National level, and perform throughout the year at many local events, festivals, and competitions throughout Western Canada and internationally. Karen is also active herself as a choral singer. She is the co-founder and a member of the Ventus Women’s Choir and a member of the Chinook Chamber Singers. Karen is active as a clinician and conductor throughout the province.

MAME GOEHNER, VICE PRESIDENT

Lyrical soprano Mame Helise Goehner has been performing and studying music since the age of six. Studying under the expertise of Opera Nuova’s founder Kim Mattice Wanat and Canada’s top baritone Peter Barcza, she has won several major scholarships and festivals throughout Canada and Europe. Mame completed her BMus and MMus at the University of British Columbia under the tutelage of Bruce Pullan and Nancy Hermiston; while at UBC, Mame was a lead member of the UBC Opera Ensemble. She has toured throughout Europe, personally sang for the Queen of England and has showcased many private recitals and performances in Canada. Mame currently teaches and runs a thriving music school in Calgary, AB, and travels across Alberta doing Masterclasses, teaching clinics and adjudicating

JOSHUA MOHR, SECRETARY
Joshua Mohr was born and raised in Camrose. He obtained a Bachelor of Music at Augustana University College, and went on to study music at the University of Manitoba and law at the University of Victoria. In May of 2012, Joshua was called to the bar in British Columbia. In May of 2012 Joshua was called to the bar in Alberta, and worked for Sirrs LLP for three years before joining Knaut Johnson Francoeur.
Joshua is the Chair of the Management Council for the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre. He is a member of the Camrose Daybreak Rotary Club, and the Camrose Kinsmen. He spends most of his free time keeping up with his son, Ellis and his wife, Danielle.

RITA BURNS, PAST PRESIDENT
Rita Smyth Burns is honoured to be a member of the Choir Alberta board. She is a retired church choir conductor and junior high band teacher who currently conducts the Wednesday Band at Cosmopolitan Music Society in Edmonton. Rita is a recipient of the Alberta Education Excellence in Teaching Award and a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. She began her conducting experience when she was in high school conducting two children’s choirs under the mentorship of Madge McCready. While in university she continued conducting and was encouraged to serve as the secretary-treasurer of the newly formed Alberta Choir Directors Association (now Choir Alberta). Rita has sung in numerous choirs including Edmonton Symphony Chorus, Da Camera Singers, and Pro Coro Canada. She has served as president of the boards of Alberta Band Association, Alberta Summer Music Workshop Association, Music Alberta, Pro Coro Canada, and Sing for Life Society.

Directors

NICOLE HOUNJET, VICE PRESIDENT PROJECTS & PROGRAMS

Nicole Hounjet is honoured to sit on the Board of Choir Alberta and is excited to bring vibrant and enriching programs to singers and conductors at every age and stage. She has been the Music and Fine Arts Director at Foothills Composite High School/Alberta High School of Fine Arts for the past 12 years. During her time at FCHS/AHSFA her ensembles (choirs, bands, and jazz) have all regularly performed and have been recognized at provincial and national music festivals. An accomplished musician, Ms Hounjet completed her music degree at the University of Alberta where she was mentored by wonderful women, passionate about choral music: Dr. Debra Cairns and Dr. Ardelle Ries. Since her time at U of A, Nicole has continued to study with with wonderful teachers including James Jordan, James Whitbourn, Gregory Boers, Richard Nace, and Rodney Eichenberger. Nicole also conducts the Westwinds Women’s Choir which is a part of the larger Westwinds Music Society.

LAUREL HALKIER, VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

HEATHER PROVENCHER, VICE PRESIDENT DEVELOPMENT
Heather Provencher is passionate about choral singing, music education and arts advocacy. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a community vibrant and supportive of the arts. For more than two decades, Heather has exuberantly taught elementary, middle and senior school general and choral music. After completing a Master of Education degree, she focused her time and energy on arts leadership and Heather is thrilled to join the Choir Alberta board in support of choristers across Alberta. Heather is currently the Artistic Co-Director of Choral Programming at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School where she has served for fourteen years.

JOEL FORTH, DIRECTOR
Joel Forth has been a passionate participant in Edmonton's choral music community since 2003. In addition to teaching choral music and vocal jazz at Edmonton's largest high school, Joel also sings in Edmonton's favourite nerd-a cappella ensemble, Apocalypse Kow, and composes and arranges a wide variety of music. Joel is excited to be serving on Choir Alberta's board of directors.

BARBARA GANSKE, DIRECTOR
A life-long choir singer, Barb did a late-in-life degree in music at Augustana University College, where she studied choral conducting with Marc Hafso, pipe organ with PJ Janson and Jeremy Spurgeon, and sang in the Augustana Choir. She was a church musician for many years, leading children’s choir, youth choir and adult choir. Currently, Barb sings in Camrose Camerata chamber choir and, taking her choral conducting career to the dark side, has been music director for the last two musicals put on by the Wetaskiwin Theatre Society.

Barb and her husband own Magnum Mechanical Systems in Wetaskiwin, a commercial plumbing company. She brings this business background and her years of Human Resource experience to the Choir Alberta board.

CARMEN SO, DIRECTOR
Carmen So fell in love with the world of choral music at first sing, two decades ago! Experiencing human connection through voices in harmony inspired her to pursue a career in music education. Her teaching experience includes private piano and voice instruction, vocal coaching for musical theatre, and conducting the All-City Junior Children's Choir and the Braille Tone Choir, a choir for individuals with exceptionalities. Ms. So is the founding director of Kokopelli's children's choir, Kikimasu, which was featured in a spotlight concert at the national PODIUM Conference in 2016. In her tenth year with the Edmonton Public School Board, she is currently the music specialist at Rutherford School. Ms. So attained both her Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education combined degrees (2004) and a Master of Education degree specializing in Elementary Music (2015) from the University of Alberta. As a lifelong learner, she is always searching for opportunities to learn and adores all things involving creative pedagogical practices. She is inspired by working with musicians from all walks of life and feels blessed to have such a wonderful career as a music educator.