Term ending 2027 | Term ending 2028 | Term ending 2029 |
Officers
- President: Scott R. Hummel
- Vice-President: Simone Browne
- Treasurer: Wesley Arai
- Corresponding Secretary: Carson Landry
- Recording Secretary: Caroline Poon
Election and appointment
The Board of Directors has 9 members—each tasked with overseeing both the long-term direction and day-to-day operations of the GCNA. A new class of Directors is elected annually by the membership, and the Board appoints new Officers following each election. The President and Vice-President are always Directors. The Board delegates its work to committees, and the President typically appoints their members. Most of the work at the GCNA is carried out by the committees.
Bios
Wesley Arai — Treasurer Wesley Arai has served on the Board of the GCNA from 2019 to 2025 and currently serves as the organization's Treasurer. He is the University Carillonist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he performs regularly on the 61-bell Storke Tower carillon and maintains an active teaching studio. Wesley studied carillon with Jeff Davis at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received BA degrees in mathematics and statistics with a minor in music. He received an MA degree in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and subsequently became a Carillonneur member of the GCNA. An active recitalist, Wesley has performed extensively across the United States and abroad. In addition to the carillon, he has studied piano, trombone, and voice. Wesley's day job is as an actuary for a company in Los Angeles. |
Alan Bowman — Director Alan Bowman received his bachelor's degree in systems analysis with a minor in piano performance from Miami University (1988, Oxford, Ohio), and a Master of Music degree with a major in organ performance from Florida Atlantic University (2005, Boca Raton, Florida). Alan worked in Florida for 25 years as a director of music in Lutheran, Anglican, and Roman Catholic churches. In 2023 he received his diploma from the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" and performed concerts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and the U.S. He then served as Blanchard Carillon Fellow at Bok Tower Gardens and upon the retirement of Larry Weinstein (Carillonneur at the Deeds Carillon from 1988 to 2023) was appointed third Carillonneur at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio, as well as Carillonneur at the Mary M. Emery Memorial Carillon in Mariemont. Alan became a Carillonneur Member of the GCNA in 2024 and received a Ronald Barnes Memorial Grant for work at the Anton Brees Carillon Library at Bok Tower, where he again served as Carillon Fellow under Geert D'hollander from January to April of 2025. |
Simone Browne — Director, Vice-President Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Simone Browne fell in love with the carillon during her undergraduate years playing the Rockefeller Carillon at the University of Chicago. She holds both a licentiate carillonneur diploma with great distinction and an additional specialization certification from the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium. Simone has performed recitals on carillons in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Lithuania, Denmark, the US, and Ukraine. She has spent the past two years serving as Interim University Carillonist at University of California, Berkeley, performing and teaching an active carillon studio while finishing her law degree. As a carillon performer, scholar, and instructor, Simone loves uncovering new perspectives within carillon culture and connecting with audiences and bell enthusiasts around the world. She has served on the Bulletin Committee for the past six years and enjoys reading and learning languages in her spare time. |
Keiran Cantilina — Director Keiran Cantilina first got involved with bells as an undergraduate at Cornell University, where he joined the student group that plays the university's historic 21-bell chime. He held leadership roles in that organization for two years, and he still returns to Cornell every year as a member of the Chimes Advisory Council. As a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, he continued my interest in bells by studying the carillon with Dave Johnson at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. With Dave's support, he was awarded a grant from the Belgian American Education Foundation that enabled him to pursue a one-year accelerated program in carillon performance at the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Belgium. He concluded that year with a diploma cum laude and a prize as one of the finalists of the Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition. Between these events, he passed the professional carillonneur exam for membership in the GCNA. Since then, he's been a juror on the GCNA's exam committee and as a member of several other committees in both the GCNA and the World Carillon Federation. He currently hold the position of Assistant Carillonneur at Church of the Covenant in Cleveland, Ohio, and he was recently elected president of the board of directors of the Friends of the McGaffin Carillon. |
Jim Fackenthal — Director Jim Fackenthal began carillon studies at The University of Rochester with David Caldwell in the mid 1980s, then passed the carillonneur's exam in Ottawa in 1986. He played the two carillons in Bloomington, Indiana, for seven years, then moved to Chicago 1993, where he became the assistant/associate carillonneur at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. He is now a cancer researcher and Professor of Biological Sciences at Benedictine University and performs carillon recitals throughout the United States. Additionally, he is the carillonneur at St. Chrysostom's Church in Chicago and serves on the carillon performance team for the Naperville Park District. As a member of the GCNA, Fackenthal has served in several capacities, including examination juror, board member, Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee chair, and co-editor of the newsletter Carillon News. |
Scott R. Hummel — Director, President Scott R. Hummel is a composer and musician from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts in music and a Bachelor of Music in audio and music production from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. He has performance experience in keyboard instruments, choral music, and percussion. His introduction to the carillon came through listening to the 62-bell instrument housed in the Chimes Tower at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. In addition to carillon, Scott has written for various other mediums, including choir, pipe organ, and percussion. His involvement in the music industry extends beyond composition and performance to audio engineering and lighting design. Scott continues to compose and arrange new works for carillon. |
Claire Janezic — Director Claire Janezic first started playing carillon at the University of Rochester, graduating in 2022 with a music and history double-major and an audio and music engineering minor. As a student, Claire enjoyed playing mbira, keyboards, and performing in two gamelan ensembles. She spent her final year at the University of Rochester teaching carillon, organizing a weekly carillon concert series, and playing concerts in the United States. In 2021, Claire passed the GCNA’s Carillonneur Examination. Later that year, she was awarded a grant from the GCNA to premiere an original carillon composition. Claire continued her carillon education at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in Mechelen, Belgium in 2022–2023 through a Fellowship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF). She graduated summa cum laude in June 2023, studying under Koen Van Assche. In August 2023, Claire performed during the World Carillon Congress and played as part of the Festival of Old Music in Utrecht (NL). She has played concerts in the United States, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Lithuania, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Claire continued her carillon study last year with Geert D’hollander as the Blanchard Carillon Fellow at Bok Tower Gardens in Florida. |
Michelle S. Lam — Director Michelle S. Lam is an Associate Carillonneur at the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, VA, and at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. She serves as co-chair of the GCNA Finance Committee. She studied carillon at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan, and became the resident carillonist at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church in the Detroit metro area from 2019 to 2022. Dr. Lam attained Carillonneur status from the GCNA in 2022. Her recitals and work in the carillon community focus on highlighting people of color, women, and lesser played works. Together with Dr. Elisa Tersigni, she received a Barnes Grant in 2020 to study the evolution of carillon culture. Outside of carillon, she graduated with her economics PhD in 2023 and works as an antitrust economist in Washington. Committed to radical transparency, making data-driven decisions, and empowering people to institute change, Dr. Lam's inbox at msll@umich.edu is always open for comments, suggestions, and queries. |
Carson Landry — Corresponding Secretary Carson Landry is University Carillonist at the University of Rochester (New York). Previously, he was carillonist of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church in Michigan and held fellowships at Bok Tower Gardens (FL) and the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon (IL). He holds a master's degree in carillon performance from the University of Michigan, a diploma from the Royal Carillon School in Belgium, and a BA in music studies from Principia College. Passionate about using bells for social good, he specializes in performing works by diverse composers and popular artists. Carson also serves the GCNA as chair of the Professionalism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. |
Caroline Poon — Recording Secretary Caroline Poon has served as Recording Secretary since 2014 and as a Director from 2019 to 2022. She holds a BA from Wellesley College, double majoring in music and in cognitive and linguistic sciences with a concentration in philosophy. She holds an MSI in information policy and an MMus in carillon performance from the University of Michigan. She studied at the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen in the winter of 2015. In her professional life, she has taught undergraduate biology and 'monged cheeses, cured meats, and bread. She has also worked in library services at public and university music libraries. She grew up in Asia, Europe, and both coasts of the United States, but now lives in Chicago with her husband. |
Carol Anne Taylor — Director Carol Anne Taylor is currently serving as Principal Organist at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Keller, Texas. She previously served as Director of Children's Choirs and Carillonneur at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dallas, Texas, for 17 years. In June 2019, Carol Anne was honored as a "Living Legend of Dallas" for her dedication and work at the Cathedral while playing the carillon, "bringing comfort and a peaceful atmosphere to the city of Dallas." She also received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. Carol Anne has served on the Board of Directors for the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) America. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee for the World Carillon Federation. Carol Anne received the 2008 Ronald Barnes Memorial Grant to study carillon performance with Bill De Turk at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida. Two years later, as recipient of the 2010 Ronald Barnes Memorial Grant, she arranged a collection of 15 hymns entitled The Spanish Liturgical Year for Carillon. An avid runner, she has completed 56 marathons. In 2024, she pushed her husband, Sterling Procter, in a wheelchair racer, and together they successfully completed the Dallas Marathon. Carol Anne resides in Dallas, Texas, and is devoted to continuing the legacy of Highland Music Inc. founded by her beloved husband. |
Elisa Tersigni — Director Elisa Tersigni is the Wayne C. Vance Carillonist at the Metropolitan United Church (Toronto, Canada) and regularly performs at Soldiers' Tower, University of Toronto. She began studying carillon in 2014 and has since passed her GCNA Carillonneur Exam (in 2020) and completed her diploma at the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" (in 2024). Over the past few years, she has served on several GCNA committees, including chairing the PDEI Committee from 2021–2023. When she's not playing carillon, she is a teacher and researcher at the University of Toronto, where she manages a digital humanities lab and studies rare books, food history, and Reformation literature. |
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