Our Staff & Board

BOARD OF TRUSTEES (2025)

Scott Langton, President
Harbor Springs

Scott Langton has professional experience in non-profit leadership and donor relationships. He serves as the Executive Director of the Harbor Springs Lyric Theater where he has helped to conceive, plan, execute, and manage all aspects of the organization since 2016. He strives to maintain the highest standards of all business practices. The Lyric Theatre was just voted one of top 3 most popular nonprofits in Northern Michigan. Scott concentrates on controlling expenses and generating strong financial support. He has a strong partnership with the Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce where he serves on their board of directors.

Kathy Schroeder, Vice President
Petoskey

Kathy Schroeder has a BA in Fine Arts and Education from Michigan State University, an MA in Counseling from Western Michigan University, and an Ed-Specialist Administration degree from the Wayne State University. She has 30 years of professional experience in education as an art teacher, high school counselor, assistant middle school principal, and elementary school principal. Kathy has served on the boards of a number of  non-profit organizations in our area, including the Women’s Resource Center and the Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan where she served as president.

Tom Bailey, Secretary
Petoskey

Thomas Bailey served as Executive Director of the Little Traverse Conservancy in Harbor Springs from 1984 through 2018. He previously worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and US National Park Service. In 2016, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Lake Superior State University by Governor Rick Snyder and was previously named to Snyder’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Michigan State Parks and Outdoor Recreation. He was appointed by Governor John Engler to the Michigan Great Lakes Protection Fund Technical Advisory Board and the Michigan Water Resources Commission. He co-founded several nonprofits including the Top of Michigan Trails Council and Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy, Michigan’s state association of land conservancies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Park and Recreation Resources from Michigan State University where he also pursued graduate studies in land use, resource economics and environmental law. He is married to artist Heidi Marshall. 

Steven C. Cross, Treasurer
Petoskey

Steve Cross has a BS in Economics and Mathematics from Northern Michigan University Marquette and J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Lansing. His professional experience includes positions of the Vice President of the Petoskey Title Agency and Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor, Fifth Third Bank. In 2022, Steve was recruited by the Nicolet National Bank to build and lead a growing wealth management team for Northern Michigan.

Jim Graves, Trustee
Boyne City

Jim Graves is a registered Professional Engineer with his BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Clarkston University, NY. Jim is retired from Detroit Edison where he served as Director of System Development. He has served as president and treasurer of the Little Traverse Choral Society; as vice president of the Farmington Youth Assistance and as treasurer of Second Chance Ranch and Rescue.  Jim has also served in church leadership roles.  He currently sings with the Little Traverse Choral Society and the GLCO Chorus.

Lynn Hansen, Musicians’ Representative
Traverse City

Lynn Hansen received her Bachelor and Master’s degrees in music education from the University of Michigan. After two years with the Albion (MI) High School Bands she moved to Traverse City where she served as band conductor at West Junior High School for twenty-two years. With a Master’s degree in education administration from Central Michigan University, Lynn continued to share her commitment and passion for all things student-related as one of WJH’s principals for the next eleven years, retiring in 2012.

Ann Marie Jones, Musicians’ Representative
Traverse City

Ann Marie Jones is a violinist with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra and fondly remembers performing on our GLCO European Tour in 2017. Ann Marie currently resides in Traverse City where she is a freelance musician. She is a certified Suzuki violin teacher, an active adjudicator for state Solo and Ensemble Festivals, and has served on regional and state music education committees in Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Michigan State University and Master of Music Education from Grand Valley State University.

Kathie Libert, Trustee
Charlevoix

Kathie Libert has a professional background in marketing communications, advertising, and brand identity. After 5-years working for the Hearst Corporation’s affiliate station WDTN-TV in Dayton, Ohio, she moved to Washington DC and worked as art director for a top ad agency in Fairfax, Virginia. In 1994, Kathie started a successful marketing communications firm, Kensington Creative Worldwide Inc. in McLean, Virginia, serving for 17 years as creative director where she managed a staff of 25 employees and freelancers. Kathie is presently on the board of directors for the Charlevoix Area Garden Club, vice president of Great Lakes Exploration Group, and she volunteers for the Charlevoix Food Pantry.

Dibby Smith, Trustee
Walloon Lake

Dibby Smith is retired from a career in nursing. She spent the last 20 years of her career working as a public health nurse and supervisor in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2010, Dibby and her husband moved to the Petoskey area where they became deeply involved in the community.  Dibby  served on the GLCO Board from 2012 to 2018, and as board president from 2013-2017. She sings in the GLCO Chorus and the Little Traverse Choral Society.  She currently serves on the boards of the Northern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Hestia Women’s Giving Circle, and the League of Women Voters of Northern Lower Michigan (Voter Services Chair). Dibby is an active member of the Petoskey Rotary Club, Women Who Care, as well as two book clubs.

GLCO STAFF

Libor Ondras, Ph.D., Music Director
libor.ondras@gmail.com

Meg Brodie-Ideker, Executive Director
meg@glcorchestra.org

Andrea Ondras, Development Consultant
andrea.ondras@gmail.com

Deedee Pichard, Events & Communications
deedee@glcorchestra.org

André Strydom, Chorus Master
Strydom1@charter.net

Emma Bieniewicz, Orchestra Manager
emmabieniewicz@gmail.com

Maureen Delaney-Lehman, Librarian
maudelaney@gmail.com

FOUNDER

Robert Pattengale, PhD

Eric Lawson

Assistant Concertmaster

Violinist, violist, conductor and professor Dr. Eric Lawson has had a varied career in performance and education. Past performances as a conductor, soloist and lecturer have taken him to Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Romania and Scandinavia. Before returning to his home state of Michigan, he was based in North Dakota where, in addition to serving as a violin instructor at Bismarck State College, Jamestown College, and the University of Mary, he was also concertmaster of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra and established the Bismarck-Mandan Youth Symphony. Other former academic appointments have included Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Central College in Pella, Iowa and the University of North Dakota where he founded the string program and the UND Chamber Orchestra.

Here in Michigan, Dr. Lawson as been very active with the Alpena Symphony Orchestra as its concertmaster, conductor and president of the board. He also performs with many other orchestras in Northern Michigan and participates in the Traverse Symphony as a first violinist, in the Gaylord Symphony as concertmaster and as assistant concertmaster in the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra.

And finally, in what has been one of the most important experiences of his life outside of music, he also served almost four years as an Alpena County Commissioner, representing Ossineke and Sanborn Townships. In addition to serving as chair of the Salary and Personnel Committee, he also served on the Airport, Ambulance, District Court, Circuit Court Management and Jail Committees. He also represented Alpena County in Gaylord with the Northern Michigan Regional Entity Substance Use Disorder Board and continues to serve on the Northeast Michigan Community Mental Health Board. Dr. Lawson resides in Ossineke with his wife and two children.