Kimberly MegowMD, MBA
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Retired Division Chief Medical Officer; guided the Foundation’s medical response during the pandemic.
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Board of Trustees
Volunteer Board of Trustees of the William Baker Choral Foundation, providing fiduciary oversight, strategic direction, and public stewardship.
Officers
Mary PuetzMM
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Charter member of the Kansas City Festival Singers and Board member since 2010.
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Melissa ShallbergMME
Executive Secretary
Founder of the Iowa Festival Singers; Executive Secretary of the Board since 2019.
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Kristin BoylePh.D.
Board Treasurer / CFO
Singer with the New South Festival Singers; industrial-organizational psychologist and Foundation treasurer.
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Board of Trustees
Pamela Pendergast
Trustee at Large
A native Kansan, Pam was raised in a farming community in north central Kansas, singing, playing saxophone or piano, and serving as organist for the local Lutheran church. She graduated with distinction from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Music in Applied Piano, studying with Dr.
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D. Ross Kimbrough
Trustee at Large
Ross was born in Arcadia, California, and grew up in a U. S.
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Sarah SambolPh.D.
Trustee at Large
Sarah Sambol became a part of the William Baker Choral Foundation in 2014 through the Summer Singers of Atlanta. She was appointed to the William Baker (now New South) Festival Singers for the 2014–2015 season.
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Canon John Schaefer
Trustee-at-Large
Organist John Schaefer served as Canon Musician at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Kansas City for forty years and as University Organist at Park University for twenty-seven years, retiring in December 2016.
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Chris BarnardMA
Trustee at Large
Chris Barnard was born and raised in Nebraska and graduated from Hastings College with a bachelor’s degree in K–12 Music Education. In 1998 he relocated to Kansas City and earned a Master of Arts in Music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
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Carl L. Chinnery
Trustee at Large
Carl Chinnery was Vice-President of Kansas City Life Insurance Company until 1976, when he established his private law practice, Chinnery Evans & Nail, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, concentrating on estate planning, probate, business law, and real estate. He has done legal work for over 130 nonprofits, including churches, athletic organizations, humanitarian groups, and civic and service clubs.
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Pratima (Manu) SinghMD
Trustee at Large
Dr. Pratima (Manu) Singh was born in Hyderabad, India, and relocated to the Kansas City area when she was 11 months old.
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Laura Rene Baker
Development Director
Laura Rene Baker grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, and became involved in choirs and handbells at an early age, beginning church choirs in kindergarten and handbells at age nine. After graduating from Kansas State University in 1989 with a degree in Interior Architecture she worked with firms in Florida and Kansas before creating Art + Design, blending work as an artist with interior architecture.
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Emeritus
Greg Wegst
Chair of Board of Advisors & Trustee Emeritus
Greg Wegst has served on numerous nonprofit boards as treasurer and secretary, including the Kansas City Clay Guild (treasurer 1999–2002) and Hollis Renewal Center (secretary 2005–2014). He has served on the Choral Foundation board since 2014, becoming Executive Secretary in 2015 and Treasurer & CFO in 2016, bringing together a passion for music and fiscal responsibility.
View bioWE William W. Dreyfoos
Trustee Emeritus & Corporate Attorney
Bill has been a lifelong chorus singer, including membership in the William Baker Festival Singers of Atlanta, the Lynn Swanson Festival Singers of Atlanta, the Charleston Symphony Singers Guild, and the Washington Choral Arts Society. His training was at Duke University under J.
View bioBP Brad Piroutek
Trustee Emeritus
Brad has been a science and mathematics teacher since graduation from Kansas State University. After teaching in rural schools he moved to the Kansas City area and joined the William Baker Festival Singers.
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Scott Smith
Trustee Emeritus & Choral Associate in Atlanta
A native of Chicago, Scott has been a member of the Choral Foundation since the summer of 1994. As a senior solution specialist at IBM he brings both musical and business organizational skills to the Foundation.
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The Foundation also convenes a Board of Advisors.