Northern Virginia Chapter of the
​American Guild of Organists 

CHAPTER BOARD

Executive Board 
​
Dean
Ronald Butts-Boehmer, CAGO

Sub Dean
Jason Abel

Secretary
Erin Bullock
​
Treasurer
Christopher J. Cooper, JD

Board Members
​
Members at Large
Alvin D. "Ted" Gustin
Dr. David G. Kelley, AAGO, ChM
Dr. Justus F. Parrotta, FAGO

Registrar
Ronald Butts-Boehmer, CAGO

Chapter Officers and Committees

Archivist, Historian, ​Program Committee,
Yearbook Committee
Alvin D. "Ted" Gustin

Chaplain 
Rev. Dr. J. Michael McMahon

Communications:
Facebook: Erin Bullock
Newsletter: Ronald Butts-Boehmer, CAGO
Online Technology: Steve J. McBride. Jr.
Webmaster: Edward Roberts

Competition Committee:
Clarice Jane Snyder

Education: AGO Certification
Dr. David G. Kelley, AAGO, ChM
Dr. Justus F. Parrotta, FAGO

Hospitality Committee:
Dr. Kimberly A. Hess, Past Dean

Auditor
Dr. David G. Kelley, AAGO, ChM

Potomac Organ Institute Liason, Publicity
vacant

Program Committee
Jason Abel, Chairman
Alvin D. "Ted" Gustin
Dr. Justus F. Parrotta, FAGO

Nominating Committee
Alvin D. "Ted" Gustin
​Dr. Kimberly A. Hess, Immediate Past Dean
Dr. Benjamin Keseley, Past Dean
Dr. Justus F. Parrotta, FAGO
​Dr. Paul Skevington, Past Dean

The Northern Virginia Chapterwas established in 1955 by
Mary Camm Adams
​and is a chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Contacts
Chapter Website:
www.novaago.org
Chapter Email:
novaago@gmail.com
Chapter Mailing Address:
Northern Virginia Chapter of the
American Guild of Organists
Erin Bullock, Secretary
PO Box 101632
Arlington VA 22210
Telephone: 276-806-2191
​National: https://www.agohq.org/

Potomac Organ Institute
Potomac Chapter 
http://www.novaago.org/potomac-organ-institute.html
​Co-Coordinators
Carolyn Booth 
CLBmuscmkr@aol.com
Peter Crisafulli 
​peter.crisafulli@allsaintschurch.net

​About the AGO

The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.

The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. The Guild serves approximately 14,700 members in approximately 300 chapters throughout the United States and abroad.

Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the Guild seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music.

Under the leadership of the National Council, a network of volunteer committees and officials at the regional, district, and local levels directs the activities of the Guild. The AGO National Headquarters is in New York City where a full time staff supports and coordinates publication, administration, and development activities of the organization. For purposes of administration and representation, the Guild is divided into seven geographical regions, and each chapter is assigned to one of them.

The American Guild of Organists and the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) share a mutually beneficial association, a collaboration that has existed since 1975. For several decades this relationship has been strengthened by financial contributions from APOBA and its members in support of the AGO and its Pipe Organ Encounters (POE) program. The AGO has responded with generous provisions for bringing news from APOBA and its members to the organ public.

​The purposes of the American Guild of Organists are:

• To advance the cause of organ and choral music, to increase their contributions to aesthetic and religious experiences, and to promote their understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment.
• To improve the proficiency of organists and choral conductors.
• To evaluate, by examination, attainments in organ playing, choral techniques, conducting, and the theory and general knowledge of music, and to grant certificates to those who pass such examinations at specified levels of attainment.
• To provide members with opportunities to meet for discussion of professional topics, and to pursue such other activities as contribute to the fulfillment of the purposes of the Guild.

Guild sponsored activities include a series of examinations for professional certification as well as programs and an extensive list of publications, CDs, DVDs, and learning resources for all levels of interest. The Guild sponsors competitions in organ performance and improvisation and in organ and choral composition. National and regional conventions held in alternate years, present the finest performers. The American Organist magazine, published monthly by the AGO, is the most widely read journal devoted to organ and choral music in the world.

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Past Deans of the
​Northern Virginia Chapter

​1955-1957 Mary Camm Adams*
1957-1959 R. Eugene Livesay*
1959-1961 Margaret L. F. Garthoff*
1961-1963 Dean B. Thomas
1963-1965 Dana C. Brown, ChM*
1965-1967 Nancy Phillips, FAGO
1967-1969 Francis S. Harrell
1969-1971 Robert R. Zboray
1971-1972 Frederick C. North, II
1972-1974 Phyllis K. Lind
1974-1976 Angeline I. Zipp
1976-1978 Kurt Karlsson
1978-1980 Jane A. Bourdow
1980-1982 Helen P. Healy*
1982-1984 Marti Rideout
1984-1986 Barbara M. Hanson
1986-1988 Ralph E. Maxwell
1988-1990 Marjory H. Melnick
1990-1992 Shirley J. Minter
1992-1994 Paul Skevington
1994-1997 Rebecca Verner
1997-1998 Terry Sisk
1998-2000 Rick Gibala
2000-2002 Rebecca Jackson
2002-2004 Andrew Price
2004-2006 Helen Rickels*
2006-2007 Thomas Lee Bailey
2007-2010 Lawrence Young*
2010-2013 Scott Matthias
2013-2015 Benjamin Keseley
​2015-2016 Michael Lodico
2016-2020 Kimberly Ann Hess
2020-2020 Jason Farris
2020-2021 Carter Stevens
​
*Deceased ​