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Meet Our Leadership
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Claire Miley
President
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Claire Miley is a practicing attorney who received her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law, where she served on the editorial board of the Northwestern University Law Review. Currently, she is a member of the Healthcare Practice Area of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.® She also serves as Vice Chair of the Healthcare Reform Task Force of the American Health Lawyers Association.
“In addition to loving to sing (though not as a soloist!), I am honored to help pursue Nashville in Harmony's mission. Nashville in Harmony not only serves as a supportive family for GLBT people and their friends, but also is an important avenue for outreach to the broader community. This chorus has a joy that is downright infectious! When our audiences hear us sing, I think they can really identify with the notion that, at the heart of the matter, we’re all the same – just people.
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Rosemary Drake
President
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Rose Mary Drake is an attorney in private law practice, focusing her work in the areas of consumer protection, intellectual property, and estate planning (including working with GLBT persons in creating legal protections for their family relationships). She is a graduate of The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and the Vanderbilt University School of Law. In her spare time, Rose Mary hikes with her dog Darlin', plays golf badly, writes songs, and is renovating her circa 1900 east Nashville home, which appears to be a lifetime project.
In a song called "We Become the Song", Rose Mary writes of her experience with Nashville in Harmony and those transcendent moments in music when the singers become an inseparable part of the message of the music:
"In the twinkling of an eye
In the moment between heartbeats
For the time it takes a falling star to streak across the sky
We are changed
We become the song"
Once you hear Nashville in Harmony sing, you'll know exactly what
she's talking about. |
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Beth Thorneycroft
Secretary
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Beth Thorneycroft is currently employed by the wacky ladies of NashTrash Tours, where she works as their tour reservationist, office manager and bail bondsman...kidding. She has a BA in Graphic Design and Commercial Art, and past positions include jobs as graphic designer, editor, benefits administrator and training manager with several national health insurance companies.
Her volunteer work includes five years as a Nashville Crisis Intervention Center phone counselor and trainer. She also spent three years as a Parthenon docent, where she gave guided tours and answered questions about its history.
Beth says, "I was thrilled to be singing in a quality chorus once again, but never dreamed I'd find a group whose mission of helping achieve GBLT equality is a very important one for my dearest friends and family members. NiH really is a family, and I'm happy to support NiH wherever I'm most needed."
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Kerry McCalla
Treasurer
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Kerry McCalla is also chair of our Finance Committee. He is retired from Bellsouth in 2002 after 27 years with various responsibilities in engineering, training development, marketing and information systems which included building and moving into the "Bat" Building downtown.
Kerry has much volunteer experience including: 11 years with the Inverness Lions Club, 10 years with the Alabama Woodworkers Guild, over 30 years with Mid-West Tool Collectors Association, 20 years with Hillsboro Presbyterian Church, 10 years with the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer supervisor on site and traveling to the Gulf coast and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
"Serving as NiH Treasurer is behind the scenes and will allow me to be a more active member of the organization, while at the same time provide a necessary service with a little additional commitment of hours.” |
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Bev Clendenen
Member-at-large
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Bev Clendenen has been a Fedex courier for the past 23 years, and is serving as board member-at-large. More specifically, Bev will be heading Nashville in Harmony's volunteer group, known as the 5th Section. She and Anne Moorman (her partner of 18 years and a much-valued 5th Sectioneer) organize and host the Out on the Deck Concert Series at their Purple House. Bev has one daughter and two grandchildren.
"When I retire in a few years, I will be traveling, fishing, golfing and playing tennis."
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Mark Manasco
Member-at-large
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Mark Manasco has a BS degree in Music Education from Tennessee Tech University. Currently, he is a Branch Manager and VP for SunTrust Bank. Mark was invited to join SunTrust's Regional Diversity Council in 2002, and was instrumental in forming SunTrust Equality Partners. STEP is a focus group for LGBT employees and their allies. Through this group, the message of SunTrust's commitment to diversity has been broadcasted within the Nashville LGBT community.
Mark has also volunteered with numerous community groups including Nashville Cares, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of TN, OutCentral, and the Nashville Human Rights Campaign.
"Ever since I was a small child, singing has been my most prevalent emotional outlet. My involvement in NiH has brought this back to me in a way that is personally gratifying and also beneficial to the community. For that, I will always be thankful." |
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JT Collins
Member-at-large
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I'm new! Give me a little more time.
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Melissa Starchild
Member-at-large
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Melissa Starchild is a salesperson for a company specializing in metals/chemicals for the metal finishing industry. Before moving back to Nashville, she was in a choral group in Ashville called Womansong. She enjoyed that so much that she wanted to find a musical family here. That’s how she found Nashville in Harmony.
“I really support the group and want to do my part. I want to do what I can to try and bring about the harmony and acceptance that I have experienced in other places that I have lived. I see progress from my childhood growing up here and I want to see the progress continue to expand to acceptance and appreciation of all!"
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Eric Tyson
Member-at-large |
Eric Tyson has been an air traffic controller for over 27 years at Nashville International Airport. He’s always had an active interest in aviation, music and photography. In 1999, he founded a support group for bisexual men and women in Middle Tennessee and served as its primary facilitator throughout its 6-year run. From February '05 until November '06, he contributed a monthly column entitled, "Bi The Way" to the GLBT newspaper, Church Street Freedom Press. He served as Bass Section Rep. for two years and has served on the Publicity committee throughout most of his Nih membership.
Eric says, "Being a singer in NiH continues to be an incredible experience - for all of us. NiH has become tremendously important to me, and it is a privilege to serve on the board and to be part of the decision process for the chorus."
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| Board Appointed Leadership |
Member Elected Leadership |
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Linda Ray Miller
Membership
Coordinator |
Lynne McCalla
Music
Librarian |
Rodger Murray
Historian
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Susan Hawes
Hospitality
Chair
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Brian Koho
Webmaster
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Joy Graves
Alto
Section Rep
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Daniel Spohr
Tenor
Section Rep |
David Thacker
Bass
Section Rep
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JT Collins
Soprano
Section Rep |
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| Roger Murray |
Roger Murray |
Roz Bell |
Don Brown |
Julie Reliford |
Claire Miley |
August 2004 through
June 2005 |
July 2005 through
June 2006 |
July 2006 through
June 2007 |
July 2007 through
June 2008 |
July 2008 through
June 2009 |
July 2009 through
June 2010 |
What Sweeter Music
What Matters |
And All the Town
Be Merry!
We Shall Be Free |
Candle of Hope
Change the World |
Hope, Harmony,
& Home
A Peaceful Planet:
The Green Concert |
Over the Bridges and Through the Woods
Love Can Build
A Bridge |
Jingle This!
All You Need
Is Love
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