Carlene Ruesenberg
Candidate for At-Large Board Member
Carlene Ruesenberg started playing handbells in 2004. She has been a charter member and Board Chair of the Granite State Ringers and is currently Board Chair of the Merrimack Valley Ringers, where she has been playing for 10 years. She has been the director of the Memorial Bell Choir at South Congregational Church in Concord, New Hampshire, since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance and a Master of Education with a focus on music education. In 2015, she joined the HMA Area 1 Board as Education Liaison and became Chair in 2017. She chaired the 2022 Area 1 Festival Conference and has volunteered for many Area 1 events. She has attended several national HMA events, including Distinctly Bronze West in 2022.
For over 35 years, she has worked in various administrative capacities for both nonprofit organizations and small for-profit businesses. She was the Operations Director for the Portland Symphony in Portland, Maine, and has worked in development for New Hampshire Public Radio. Currently, she is the Executive Assistant to Gary Hirshberg, the co-founder of Stonyfield Organic, where she manages his education initiatives for entrepreneurs in the consumer products industry. Over the years, she has gained extensive experience in event planning, bookkeeping, financial reporting, and fundraising.
What is your vision for Handbell Musicians of America?
My vision for the National Board of the HMA is for it to continue as a resource supporting the activities of each of the Areas, allowing them to have the flexibility to serve the needs of their constituency. While membership has been growing, I see the Board working in tandem with the Areas to develop avenues to nurture and retain those members.
My priorities are:
● Support the Areas
- Communicate with Area leadership and provide the tools and resources that they need.
- Encourage greater communication between Area leaders to share best practices.
● Support the Handbells in the Schools education program
- Ensure long-term support for this recent program, which is integral to growing membership and introducing handbells to music educators.
- Identify and support opportunities for Area involvement with that initiative.
● Ensure that HMA operates in a fiscally sustainable manner.
What expertise and experience will you bring to Handbell Musicians of America board of directors?
I have benefitted from the HMA community in so many ways… including improving as a ringer and director, making lasting friendships that I wouldn’t have made otherwise, and getting ideas on how to bring handbells into my local community. I will give back to HMA through my experience working for arts non-profits, other small businesses and through my extensive board experience. I know how to ask questions, read reports, listen to others, and develop consensus and action plans. I enjoy the role that Board members play in developing community and support for an organization. It often results in creating an atmosphere in which people are more willing to be engaged over the long term.
Voting takes place Feb. 15 – Mar. 15. During that time, the button below will become active.
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