Jeanne Kelly, Founder & Artistic Director
Jeanne Kelly's career of over forty years has produced a unique blend of experience as a vocal performer, teacher, conductor and music administrator that has prepared her well to serve as the Founder and Artistic Director of Encore Creativity for Older Adults.
As a performer, Ms. Kelly made her professional operatic debut with the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center. She has also performed major roles with the Baltimore Opera, Opera Delaware, Central City Opera, Tulsa Opera, Annapolis Opera, and the New York City Opera Education Department. She appeared in the world premiere of Rappaccini's Daughter with the Pennsylvania Opera Theater.
In addition to having maintained a private voice studio in Maryland and Virginia, Ms. Kelly served on the faculties of the Levine School of Music, Washington, DC; Hood College, Frederick, Maryland; and the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Ms. Kelly served as conductor of the Women's Glee Club at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, and the Georgetown University Concert Choir.
She was Executive Director of the Houston Conservatory of Music and, from 1997 until 2007, was Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Campus of the Levine School of Music.
Ms. Kelly earned an undergraduate degree in voice performance and piano from the University of Findlay, Ohio, and a master's degree in voice performance from the Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore.
Robert Rund joined encore as Executive Director in September 2018. Robert comes to us with a vast array of experience in the world of performing and choral arts. Most recently, Robert served as Regional Director of Development for Harmony Foundation International, an organization that connects people through charitable giving to enrich lives through singing. Previously, Robert held positions of Executive Director of the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, President and Head of School at The American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey, Executive Director and Founder of Community Arts Partnership at the Peddie School (CAPPS) in Hightstown, New Jersey, Associate Publisher of Musical America Worldwide in New York City, and finally, President of R2C2, a successful consulting firm serving internationally renowned performing artists, ensembles and organizations.
David Bernstein brings a wealth of experience to the Encore Board of Directors in the area strategic planning, business, and information technology. Having retired as Captain from the United States Coast Guard after 35 years of distinguished reserve and active duty service, including serving as the Coast Guard CIO, David continued his career as an Enterprise & IT Governance Consultant-Strategist and Senior Consultant for the world's largest information systems outsourcing organization, EDS.
Dan Martin, a member of Glen Echo Encore since 2011, has had a career in the public sector, primarily focused on information dissemination and public outreach to help build coalitions of supporters for economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Dan worked in the Office of External Relations of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington D.C. for 27 years. The IDB is a multilateral development bank that finances public and private sector development projects in the region. As Chief of the Public Information and Publishing Section of the IDB, he managed outreach programs aimed at key constituencies, including the U.S. government, the private sector, foundations, NGOs, academia and labor organizations. He also managed the institution's website and publications programs; and managed, wrote, edited and produced the IDB's Annual Report for many years.
Larry Kelly has over forty-five years of management experience with large and small businesses in the private sector, federal government and the U.S. Navy, where he was the program director for a $200M/year revenue generating business.
Dr. Sylvia W. Crowder retired from 15 years of federal service on June 30, 2013. Immediately prior to retirement, she served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Senior Director of International and Foreign Language Education (IFEL), Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. In this capacity, she oversaw and managed national and international grant programs and contracts under Title VI and Title VII legislation of the U.S. Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961. The programs and contracts that she administered were designed to strengthen U.S. capacity in international education, international and area studies, and foreign language learning; the programs involved collaborative programs with numerous countries around the world as well as outreach activities to assist students, faculty, K-12 teachers, and other educators throughout the U.S.
As a human resource and management professional for more than 30 years, Debra Brown-DeLone came to Encore with extensive experience in training, public relations, contract management, public administration and non-profit management. She is President and CEO of AdeLITA, LLC, a privately owned training and development company focused on meeting facilitation and diversity training for conferences, corporate and non-profit groups, and government. She currently works as a contractor for the Anti-Defamation League providing diversity and anti-bullying training for students in Washington, DC, Montgomery and Fairfax County public schools.
Rayna Ayward is co-founder and co-chair of the National Disability Mentoring Coalition, which focuses on strengthening the awareness, quality and impact of mentoring for individuals with disabilities. Established in 2014, the 50-member Coalition hosts the Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame, honoring exceptional individual mentors and mentoring programs across the country.
Debra Bird has been a resident of Annapolis since 1989 and an Encore singer since 2008, bringing a unique and historical perspective and passion for Encore to her service on the Encore Board. Debra has over 25 years of experience as a Human Resource Manager with the Department of the Interior in Denver, Colorado, and Washington, DC including assignments with the US Geological Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of the Secretary of Interior, National Biological Survey and the National Park Service.