Name

Position

E-mail

Committee Chairmen (non board-members)

Carolyn Thibideau holds degrees from Oakland University and the University of Michigan. She is retired as a music teacher in West Bloomfield Schools. She was honored as Teacher of the Year, Finalist for Michigan Teacher of the Year, Exemplary Handbells in Education Award, and numerous other community and national awards. She is Music Director and Organist at First Presbyterian Church, Pontiac. She is a Past Michigan Chair of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. In the American Guild of Organists, she chaired the writing Committee for the booklet, "The Employment of Musicians in Churches And Synagogs," She served on the Program Committee for the 1986 AGO National Convention. She is enjoying serving as Dean for the Detroit Chapter AGO. She teaches private music students in piano, organ and trumpet.

has been a member of the AGO since the late 60's. He served on the Program Committee for the 1986 Convention where he arranged the Improvisation Academy. He has served as the Sub-Dean for the past year. He holds a Bac. Degree, an Artist Diploma ( Curtis Institute) and Master Degree (School of Sacred Music, Union Theological Seminary, NYC) He looks forward to an exciting year of programs, good food and another Organ Crawl.

Currently "retired". Carols academic background is: B. Mus. (organ/church music) University of Colorado, M.Div. from Boston University School of Theology, plus postgraduate Danforth Seminary Internship/Campus Ministry at Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pa. I've worked in the healthcare industry (Children's Hosp., Pittsburgh, retired from Michigan Dept. of Community Health, since did spiritual care in hospice, and currently with Optimal Care, Inc. a behavioral health, geriatric, and dementia care home healthcare agency). I've served 4 churches (St. Thomas, Episcopal - Trenton; Calvin Presbyterian -Detroit; Littlefield Presbyterian -Dearborn; and Greenfield Presbyterian, Berkley) and subbed widely.

Richard Abdoo - Chapter Treasurer

Rick Abdoo has been a member of the Detroit Chapter AGO for 21 years. He has served as a board member, and as Treasurer for a total of six terms. Rick is a retired engineering supervisor from Ford Motor. He holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, and has three patents. Rick has been in business as Abdoo Organ Services, repairing, expanding and rebuilding pipe organs for fifteen years. . Rick presently is the Treasurer for the Detroit Chapter AGO, Citizens for Peace, and the Citizens for Peace Education Fund. He was previously the Treasurer for the SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club. He is experienced in accounting and reporting for his own business as well as non-profit organizations, using Quickbooks Premier for non-profits.

A Chapter member for eleven years, Dennis is serving his third term as registrar and membership chair. He has been both the associate and principal organist at Southfield Presbyterian Church for over forty-five years and recently retired from the faculty of Oakland Community College. Besides the organ, his hobbies/interests include Japanese gardening, bike riding, travel, woodworking, reading, mid-century modern architecture and basset hounds.

Has been a member of AGO for over 50 years, and currently is a member-at-large on the Board of Directors until June 2012. Ed has been organist at the Congregational Church of Birmingham for 50 years, and free-lance for weddings and funerals at other churches. I worked as an accompanist for the Detroit Public Schools and play for many Broadway musicals at local community theaters. I played for the last two productions at the Birmingham Village Players.

began music studies at age five and has been a church organist since the age of twelve. His early training in his native Pittsburgh was with John R. Lively (organ) and Mildred Gardner (piano). He served at both Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and Third Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. In 1986, Mr. Rush relocated to Cleveland, where he earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Todd Wilson. He placed first in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Chapters of the American Guild of Organists' National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance in 1983 and 1991, respectively, and placed third in the Regional Competition in Chicago in 1991. A certified Colleague of the American Guild of Organists and a member since 1976, Mr. Rush has performed recitals at many prestigious venues, including St. Thomas Church, New York City, Trinity Church, Boston and National City Christian, Washington, DC. Since moving to Michigan, he has been Director of Music and Organist at Kirk in the Hills, Interim Director of Music at Christ Episcopal Church (Dearborn), and Associate Director of Music Ministries at the First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham. He currently serves as an accompanist and vocal coach at the Detroit School of Arts and is Director of Music and Organist at the First United Methodist Church in Ferndale, MI. Mr. Rush resides in Troy with his wife Peggy, son Benjamin, and Patches the cat.

Seung H. Cho-
Board Member-at-Large

Seung Cho holds the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree (Organ performance and literature) from the Eastman School of Music and has extensively studied choral and orchestral conducting with Maestro Mendi Rodan, Neil Varon, and Dr. William Weinert. Dr. Cho has served as a church musician /organist/pianist for over 20 years and is currently serving as the music director at St. Stephen Episcopal Church. There, she directs the adult choir, a bell choir, and children's choir. She loves to connect people through music that she regularly presents special choral music with orchestra together many masterworks. She is looking forward to have an exciting new year!

David Enos

David Enos is Music Associate and Carillonneur at St. Hugo of the Hills Church, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. A native of the Syracuse, New York area, he holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in organ from, respectively, Westminster Choir College and the Eastman School of Music. His organ studies have been with George Decker, Donald McDonald, Joan Lippincott, and David Craighead. David was active in the planning of the Region 5 AGO convention held in Detroit in 2009, in which he performed as an organist and carillonneur, as well as coordinating exhibits. In addition to organ and carillon recitals in the USA, David has played carillon concerts in France and Belgium.

Dr. Wm. Jean Randall - Board Member-at-Large

Dr. Wm. Jean Randall holds degrees in vocal music education, organ performance, and sacred music fromWayne State University and the University of Michigan. He is the Director of Music and organist at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Rochester Michigan, Principal Organist at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Artistic Director of Harmony in the Hills Concert Series, and Adjunct Professor of piano and music theory at Rochester College. Dr. Randall has appeared in concerts and festivals throughout the United States and Europe, both as a solo performer and conductor. He is in demand as an accompanist, instructor, and pipe organ construction consultant. He also maintains a regular schedule of concert appearances. In the past few years Jean has performed in Alpena, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Detroit, Grosse Pointe, Philadelphia, Rochester, Washington D.C., and has toured Poland, the U.K., Austria, Italy, Belgium, France, and The Netherlands. His choirs have toured Europe extensively performing in such venues as: St. Peter's, Rome; St. Mark's, Venice; Sacre Couré, Vicenza, and the Grote Kerk of St. Bavo, Haarlem. Dr. Wm. Jean Randall Director of Music and Organist St. Paul's Rochester, Adjunct Professor of Piano and Music Theory; Rochester College

is Director of Music at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills where he is the Principal organist and director of the Christ Church Cranbrook Choir. John is a past dean of the Detroit AGO chaper, previous AGO board member and worked on the 2009 AGO Regional Convention Committee. He holds a MM in Organ and Church music from Indiana University. He is an active member of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and has been appointed to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for the Episcopal Church. (USA)

David K. Wigton has been a church organist from the age of ten. After graduating from Oakland University in 1972, he pursued a career in organbuilding. After a five-year apprenticeship in New England, he began organ building in Detroit, most projects involving mechanical action. He was active in the Detroit AGO chapter in the 1980s, becoming Treasurer at the time of the 1986 national convention. After raising three children in the Dryden area, he decided to once more become involved in AGO activities. He hopes to raise awareness of pipe organs, especially the idea that real organs can be more affordable than most people think.