BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The NSAL Arizona is completely volunteer operated. We appreciate the efforts of our current board of directors:
Gail Fisher, President
Gail Fisher is a retired English teacher, honored community volunteer and an award-winning freelance writer, journalist, and author. She is a past chair of the Tempe Library Advisory Board, Tempe Historical Museum Advisory Board, and the Tempe Arts and Culture Commission.
A driving force to make the Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) become a reality in 2007, Gail founded the Friends of TCA and served as the first president, followed by many years on the board.
She initiated the popular “TCA Performance with a View” series in partnership with Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Gail also assists in the production of the “Hayden’s Ferry Chamber Music Series” performing at the TCA.
The 2007 National NSAL Conference was held at the TCA and the 2016 National NSAL Conference was held in Phoenix. Gail served two years as NSAL Recording Secretary on the National Board and is the current National 1st Vice President. A long-time member of NSAL AZ, she serves as Arizona Chapter President.
Susie Silverman, Vice President & Dance Chair
Susan Silverman, NSAL-AZ Dance Chair since 1995, has directed and coordinated annual dance scholarship events on local and national levels. NSAL-AZ Dance winners have gone on to be featured with Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, and many other notable companies.
Susan has been the Director of Dance Theater West Ballet Program and DTW Story Book Ballet Company since 1990. DTW focuses on classical dance forms in a non-competitive environment. Creator of long time and far-reaching collaborative dance events with Scottsdale Arts and Free Arts for Abused Children as well as touring performances at valley schools and community venues.
As long time DTW business partner and collaborator with Frances Smith Cohen, Susan was assistant director of Frances Smith Cohen’s Snow Queen and a board member of Center Dance Ensemble, Resident Dance Company of the Herberger Theater.
Susan’s early dance training and performing experience was in New York City. Later she was a member of Frances Cohen’s Kadimah Dancers in Tucson. She is a graduate of University of Arizona with emphasis on political science and history and a special certification in dance education.
Anne C. White, Ph.D., CFRE, Secretary
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Anne attended universities in New York City and received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology. In New York, she served as vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America as a resource to the North Atlantic Region for 52 affiliates.
Subsequent positions included vice president of development for Special Olympics, and associate executive director of the YWCA of the USA working with 4,000 associations across the country. In 1994, the American Cancer Society moved her to Phoenix to help the Arizona Division become a three-state entity – southwest division.
A committed educator, she has served as adjunct faculty to five universities in New York and New Jersey, developed year-long certification programs in fundraising at two colleges in New York, teaches modules in the AFP Five-Year Review Course, and workshops for ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation.
Anne received her certification as a CFRE in 1987, and AFP Master Trainer Designation in 2011. Working with Experience Matters, she has served as an Encore Fellow since 2011 and worked with nonprofit organizations on governance, fundraising, marketing, infrastructure and change management. Anne currently serves as president of NSAL Arizona, second vice president of NSAL National, and member of the Policy Council for the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.
Marilyn Cabay, Ph.D., Treasurer
Marilyn Cabay has been a patron of the arts for many years and her interests grew with her children’s involvement. Her daughter studied at Dance Theater West and Marilyn became familiar with the work of NSAL through her participation in several dance events.
Her son sang in the Phoenix Boys Choir and also studied piano. In addition, Marilyn hosted several visiting pianists for the Bösendorfer International Piano Competition at Arizona State University, including two first-place prize winners! These experiences have been motivating, enlightening, and rewarding.
Marilyn received her doctorate degree from Arizona State University and bachelors from the University of Southern California. She has a psychology practice in Scottsdale and has taught graduate and undergraduate psychology. She is a member of the Mental Health Guild of Arizona, the Arizona Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, and previously served on the Board of the Children’s Center for Neurodevelopmental Studies.
Claudia Kennedy, Board Member
Claudia Havens Kennedy moved to Phoenix with her husband, Alan, in 1970. She had completed a B.S. in Voice & Music Education at Union College and an M.M. in Vocal Performance at Wichita State University.
She taught General Music K-6 for seven years in Cartwright School District in Phoenix and for eleven years worked with the Phoenix Boys’ Choir as Training Choir Conductor and vocal coach.
She has performed recitals, oratorio and opera throughout the Southwest and had church soloist positions.
She taught voice at Illinois Wesleyan University, University of Colorado at Boulder, Arizona State University and now maintains a private voice studio in her home.
Claudia is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota and serves on the boards of National Society of Arts and Letters Arizona and the Phoenix Chorale.
She has two children and five grandchildren.
Betty Hum, Photography Chair
Betty Hum is a part-time photographer and attorney volunteer with Community Legal Services of Arizona.
She was formerly with Intel Corporation in the Legal Department where her team managed anti-corruption compliance issues. Prior to Intel, Ms. Hum was in private practice where she specialized in construction legal issues, employment and immigration law. Before calling Arizona home, her community activities in the arts included the formation of a Board of Directors for a dance company in Minneapolis as well as the Board of Directors of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Since moving to Arizona Ms. Hum has served on numerous boards including, a life director to the Board of Directors of the Arizona Builders’ Alliance, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Arizona School for the Arts and the Arizona State University Center for Film, Media and Popular Culture. She is currently on the boards of several Friends of Public Radio, Harrison Middleton University and Arizona School for the Arts.
NSALAZ is fortunate to have her also take photos for the local competitions and in 2022 she created the first ever NSALAZ Photography Competition for young photographers.
Cathy Hauan, Voice Chair
Dr. Cathy Hauan is retired from Mesa Community College, where she taught voice and music theatre for 32 years. Cathy earned a Master’s degree and a Doctor of Musicals Arts degree in Vocal Performance from ASU and onstage has appeared in opera, oratorio, and music theater. She is an award-winning freelance music director for several area theaters, including Hale Center Theatre, Desert Stages, and Inspire Theater.
Cathy has been affiliated with the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She also served as coordinator of the Maricopa County Community Colleges Artists of Promise competition, which promotes the arts within the 10 Maricopa colleges. She has served as adjudicator for the NSAL Classical Voice and Dorothy Lincoln-Smith competitions for the past 4 years and is happy to take on the role of voice chair.
Michael Cook, Dance Co-Chair
Michael Cook, born in Phoenix, Arizona, trained at the School of American Ballet in New York City and was Principal Dancer for The Suzanne Farrell Ballet and Ballet Arizona. He was Principal Dancer for The Suzanne Farrell Ballet from 2007 to 2014, and Principal Dancer for Ballet Arizona from 2000 to 2007. Michael continues to work with Ms. Farrell including numerous creative projects.
He began his Arizona training at Tempe Dance Academy under the direction of Wanda Manville, inspiring him to open a sister school – Tempe Dance West – in Laveen, Arizona in 2007. Having grown up in this historically rural community that was lacking in arts and arts education, Michael’s vision for the school was – and remains – ensuring that all children have access to the arts and arts education.
In fall 2022, Michael opened South Mountain Performing Arts, 9500-sq ft state-of-the-art facility designed and built specifically for his professional dance training program. His passion for dancing extends beyond the stage to teach and inspire young students. Through the Education Department at the Kennedy Center, he teaches a series of master classes in ballet and partnering.
Jeremy Aye, Voice Co-Chair
Jeremy Aye received his Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder. As a graduate student in Colorado, he taught both individual lessons to vocal performance majors as well as group voice-class for non-major singer.
He has performed in numerous operas, musicals, and concerts throughout the United States. In addition to solo work, since 2005 Jeremy sang as an extra chorister for 15 seasons with The Metropolitan Opera. In 2006, Jeremy became an adjunct voice professor at NYU Steinhardt.
Jeremy is affiliated with American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL), National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and Opera America. He is on the voice faculty for Prague Summer Nights, a 4 week music festival that produces recitals, concerts and operas in the Czech Republic. The festival highlight includes a full production of Don Giovanni, in the famous Estates Theatre where Mozart premiered his masterpiece.
Jeremy’s private students range from emerging talent to professional singers who perform on the stages of Broadway and The Metropolitan Opera.
Dorothy Lincoln-Smith, Past President & Board Member
Dr. Dorothy Lincoln-Smith was a leading solo vocal artist in concert venues throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S., with the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Los Angel Master Chorale, Bach & Madrigal Society (now Phoenix Chorale), and the Phoenix Boys Choir under the direction of the late Harvey K. Smith. Performing the role of Constanza in Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio with the (now) Arizona Opera was a special favorite as well as Olympia’s “Doll Song” from Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman.
She has been a member of NSAL since 1971 having completed a term as National President in 2016 and as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Dorothy serves on the Boards of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, (honored in 2017 for longtime service) the Phoenix Boys Choir, (honor in 2023, for PBC 75th Anniversary), and the Metropolitan National Opera Council-AZ. She received the Arizona Governor’s Arts Award in 2020.
Dr. Lincoln-Smith earned a Bachelor of Music from Cornell College, Iowa, and in 2018 she received the Distinguished Achievement Award for service to the college, participation in community affairs, and distinguished achievement in her fields of endeavor. She received the Master of Music in 1964 and Doctorate at Arizona State University in 1973 and is a retired Professor of Voice and as soloist at First Church of Christ Scientist, Phoenix.
Unique achievements include Advanced Certification in Scuba Diving; Dorothy has completed 926 dives with the goal of reaching 1000.