Board President

Barbara Saks

Barbara plays in the Salt Creek Chamber Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphonic Band, West Michigan Flute Choir, Wheaton Municipal Band, West Suburban Flute Orchestra, Savoyaires Gilbert and Sullivan Ensemble, and the Holland American Legion Band. She has also performed with the Northwest and Oak Park Symphony Orchestras as well as playing in the pit for numerous musicals in the Chicagoland area. Barbara earned her degrees from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Northwestern University.  She recently retired after being the band director for 32 years at Park View School in Morton Grove, Illinois where she taught 4th–8th graders the joys of making music!  She lives in Holland, Michigan with her husband Paul and their four cats — Zutty, Keter, Dizzy, and Coltrane.

Vice President

Jerry Zitko

Jerry Zitko, violinist, retired in 2017 from teaching Elementary and Jr. High Orchestra in the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 after 34 years. He has served as an adjudicator and clinician for many competitions and festivals, and was the 2016 guest conductor for the ILMEA Junior High School Orchestra Festival. As a violinist, he has performed with many Chicago area orchestras and ensembles including the West Suburban and Southwest Symphonies, and Chicagoland Educators Orchestra. He is a member of the Salt Creek Chamber Orchestra and serves on their Board. Jerry is also a member of The American String Teachers Association, ILMEA and the Western Springs Music Club. He holds a BM degree in Music Education from DePaul University and a MA in Educational Leadership/Administration from North Central College. Outside of music Jerry enjoys looking after his koi pond and cooking.

Treasurer

Gordon S Rowley, Ph.D

Treasurer — Gordon S Rowley, Ph.D. (musicology, The University of Iowa). Treasurer, Fox Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists; Orchestra Librarian emeritus, Peninsula Music Festival (Door County, WI); honorary member and former treasurer of the Major Orchestra Librarians Association (MOLA); member and former convention manager for annual conferences of the Music Library Association; co-founder and former treasurer of Index to Printed Music (RILM/IPM). Retired from academic career as university library administrator and educator.

Secretary

Gary Greene

Gary Greene holds degrees in music education and musicology from the University of Indianapolis, Butler University, and the University of Maryland. His specialization is in American music at the turn of the 20th century. A portion of his dissertation on the life and music of Henry Holden Huss has been published by Scarecrow Press, and his research on Huss has led to a number of recordings of Huss’ music. He has published widely on a variety of musical topics.

Dr. Greene has taught students who spanned third grade through graduate school at schools in Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, and Arkansas. He is newly retired after 21 years as a staff member of the Illinois State Board of Education. His work there as a principal consultant has covered several areas, most recently the registration and recognition of nonpublic schools. He also served a few terms as an officer in the union representing the professional staff of the agency.

Dr. Greene has also had an active career as a horn player and a private horn teacher. He currently serves as the principal horn of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra and as a hornist with the Salt Creek Chamber Orchestra; he is the program annotator for both orchestras. He also regularly performs in other area ensembles and as a soloist at churches. He frequently gives presentations on musical and historical topics for library lecture series, in Sunday School classes, and to other audiences.

He has served on a number of boards for musical organizations, and he currently serves on the boards of the Salt Creek Chamber Orchestra and the DuPage Symphony Orchestra.

Board Members

Ellen Callahan

Currently retired; previously focused on ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements of federal and state agencies and on global privacy activities for major financial institutions. Professional contributions for these corporations also included strategic technology portfolio management, global applications implementation and human resources management. Served as a global project manager for a major energy company. 

Employment History 

Bank of the West (BNP Paribas) 
Senior Vice President-Compliance August, 2011 – July, 2013 

Bank of America 
VP-Senior Policy Manager April, 2008 – August, 2011 

ABN AMRO, LaSalle Bank 
VP-Privacy Officer September 2006 – March 2008 
VP-Strategic Technology Planning/Portfolio Manager October 2003 – September 2006 
VP-Manager of Human Resources Business Automation October, 1998 - December 2003 

British Petroleum Corporation (Amoco) 
Senior Planning Consultant July, 1996-October, 1998 

JP Morgan-Chase (First Chicago) 
VP-Human Resources (Multiple positions held) May, 1982 - July, 1996 

Education 

MBA, Management and Organizational Behavior, George Williams College, Aurora University 
BA, Music, Ithaca College (German minor) 

Additional Information 

Currently playing viola with several amateur musical groups in the Chicago area. Prior teaching experience in Germany and the United States; played viola professionally in Chicago and New York areas. Participated in EL Systema’s String teaching program. Prior Advisory Board member Community Women’s Orchestra (Oakland, CA). Mentoring Committee Chair; Literacy program Volunteer at Bank of America; former VP-Board of Trustees First Folio Theatre accountable for creation of Five Year Strategic Planning; former Board of Directors, West Suburban Symphony Society; former violist West Suburban Symphony and DuPage Symphony orchestras, Salt Creek Chamber Orchestra; former Board member Rockland Conservatory of Music (NY area), DuPage Council for Child Development and Blind Parrot Theatre Company (Chicago). Completed Chicago Arts & Business Council Business Volunteers for the Arts training program.

Lennette F. Neal

Lennette F. Neal is currently a teacher with the Chicago Public Schools with endorsements in Music and Special Education. She is a violin instructor at the Musical Arts Institute and an associate choir director and Youth Supervisor at the Liberty Baptist Church of Chicago.

Lennette’s love of music started when she was just a little girl. She began playing the piano at the age of 4 and the violin at the age of 5. She studied violin under the tutelage of Ms. Tamaki Mizukami for over 10 years. During high school, she was a member of the Classical Youth Symphony for four years and CPS All-City High School Orchestra. Lennette graduated from Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago where she was in the band and orchestra, and played the violin, viola, and alto saxophone. Lennette attended DePaul University, where she was a member of the DePaul Symphony Orchestra and also a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She graduated from Chicago State University with a BA in Secondary Education, where she majored in Music and minored in Mathematics.

Lennette is currently seeking her Master of Arts degree in Special Education at National-Louis University.

Lennette performs with many orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area. She has also performed throughout the United States and in several countries including Austria and Hungary. Lennette is the wife of Rev. Richard L. Neal, Jr. They have been married for 26 years and have two children.

Gary Wilhelm

Gary Wilhelm is a retired High School Vocal Music Educator. He taught for 36 year in Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois! He has a BME in Music Education and a MM in vocal Performance. He was a Church Choir Director for 46 years serving Denominations in Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois. As a Vocalist he has sung with the Grant Park Chorus, Music of the Baroque, and Choirs in New Jersey, and Kansas! He lives in Woodstock, Illinois and is still actively engaged in singing. He enjoys Traveling, Fishing, reading and spending time with his family!