Chapter Leadership
In a smaller chorus the members tend to wear many hats. In fact this is part of the fun of being a Sweet Adeline. New friendships are formed and in addition to developing our singing skills, we develop as team members and leaders.
We have members that are on multiple committees and in various leadership positions, and truth be told, we could list the entire chorus here if we listed everyone that contributed to the chorus in a “non-singing” way.
Our chorus has a 6-person Board. These dedicated ladies help run the inner workings of the chorus. We also have various committees that work as teams to plan various events and perform other functions. It takes teamwork to get the work done.
Our Current Board: Amy Greenlief, Stephanie Buehler, Judy Stein, Nancy Davis, Nancy McLaughlin, and Wendy Foster.
Connie Alward – Director
Connie started singing with Grand Olympics chorus at the age of 14 and is the only original charter member (1981) still active with the chorus. She excelled in Port Angeles school bands, where she played both woodwind and brass instruments. She’s held many positions in the chorus, including President, Assistant Director, Lead and Bass Section Leaders and Recording Secretary. She became a Sweet Adelines International Certified Director in 2019 and is the Regional Director Certification Program Coordinator. Connie sings with her current Region 13 champion quartet, Charmed and has competed on the International stage. She has two grown sons, (no grandkids yet) a husband of 30+ years, and is the Construction Administrator for Sound Community Bank.
Deb Unger – Assistant Director
Deb may be brand new to Sweet Adelines but she started singing before she spoke! She played accordion, piano and clarinet as a child and sang in every choir she could find moving around with her military family. This led to a BA degree in Music Education, where she began her classical vocal training in Opera and Art Song. She served with the Woodbridge Community Choir in many capacities, including director, for 20 years as well as 16 years singing soprano and touring with the award winning internationally acclaimed Choral Arts Society of Washington in DC. Within weeks of retiring and moving to the Olympic Peninsula with her husband of 44 years, she found barbershop music with the Grand Olympic Chorus and is excitedly absorbing this new musical genre and finding her barbershop voice.
Nancy Anderson -Choreographer, Lead Section Leader
Nancy has been with the Grand Olympics Chorus for 22 years and, during that time, has held various board positions. She is a member of the Music Team and co leader for physical warmups. She also sings and plays in a local mixed acoustic group and is a member of the OTA Singers.
Stephanie Buehler – Vice President, Bass Section Leader
With no previous formal training, Stephanie has found her barbershop voice with Grand Olympics Chorus. She sang as a child in Sunday School choir and then for a year in middle school when she also played violin. Following that, her only singing was very casual with friends and family on limited occasions. When she met her husband, Ted, she found and fell in love with sea shanties. They’ve spent the past 42 years on sailboats (now a small tugboat) where they’ve entertained themselves, friends, family and passersby with shanties and a variety of folk music, Ted accompanying them on a baritone ukelele. When they retired and moved from San Diego to Port Ludlow, Steph began singing with the Port Ludlow Singers and performing in musical skits with The Adorables (where she discovered her love of musical comedy). She and Ted also spent 5 years leading sing-a-longs for an Assisted Living facility in Port Townsend. When she saw an ad on NextDoor for Guest Night at Grand Olympics which said ability to read music NOT required, she went.
After spending an evening on the risers singing bass and hearing those barbershop chords “ring,” she was hooked. That was 7 years ago and she’s still going strong.
Wendy Foster – Treasurer, Baritone Section Leader
Wendy Foster, currently baritone section leader and chorus Treasurer, celebrated her 15th Sweet Adelines anniversary at last year’s convention and contest. She also serves on the board. She started singing when she was very little, entertaining soldiers and sailors at the USO where her mother volunteered while her father was serving in WWII. She joined Grand Olympics Chorus in 2008 after retiring from a career that included social work, teaching, managing Clallam County Family Planning and several businesses in Human Resources. All these fields have come together and help her in her chorus participation. Wendy has enjoyed 2 grown daughters, 2 grown grandchildren and is now enjoying 2 teen age great grandchildren. She hopes to continue singing as long as she can.
Vi Strobridge – Tenor Section Leader
Vi’s love for music started early. She was just 3 years old when she sang her first solo “Away in a Manger” at her church’s Christmas program. In grade school her mom started her on the piano, igniting another lifelong passion that continues to this day. In fifth grade she started playing in band. By junior high she was singing in a trio with two of her siblings. Vi played the French horn all the way through college and received a Kodai certification for elementary music at Hamlin University in Minnesota. Vi plays multiple instruments and has played and sung with many groups over the years including the Port Angeles Symphony and the Port Townsend Community Chorus. She enjoys playing in a ukelele group and is currently the pianist/organist at her church and has several years of experience directing her church choir.