Susie Amos
Candidate for President-Elect
As a young handbell musician in Lawrence, Kansas, Susie Amos experienced firsthand the power of the handbell community. Her director, Barbara Kelly, took a courageous leap of faith by taking the ensemble on the road, and the handbell world welcomed them—literally into their homes. That generosity allowed them to share their music with audiences across the Midwest, to Hawaii, Canada, and even the United Kingdom. Because of handbells, the world opened up.
That spirit of generosity has continued to shape her experience with handbells. As an adult, joining Handbell Musicians of America connected her not only to ringing events, resources, and educational opportunities, but also to people. At each Handbell Musicians of America event, leaders and experts in the handbell world openly share their talent and experience, and alongside other musicians on their own handbell journeys, participants learn how best to share their music with congregations and wider communities.
This kind of network does not happen by accident; it is built intentionally through organization, relationships, vision, and collaboration. That is why she seeks to serve: to continue opening up the world of handbells for everyone.
She is proud to serve as president of the New England Ringers and is especially proud of Oktobellfest, an annual festival now in its sixth year that welcomes registrants from 22 states and Hong Kong. Sponsored by the New England Ringers, the festival was built from the ground up and has grown into a vibrant community, expanding in size while staying true to its mission.
Beyond handbells, she teaches English to multilingual students at a community high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she is inspired by her students daily. She also brings leadership experience from many years in Corporate Services at a major bank, as well as from serving on the Academic Policies Governance Council at the community college where she taught.
Across these roles, she has learned to lead teams with collaboration and deep respect for the expertise of others. She listens closely, asks thoughtful questions, responds quickly, and builds consensus one conversation at a time. She has learned that clear communication and a strong foundation of trust are essential to moving any group forward.
What is your vision for Handbell Musicians of America?
- Seek out and respond to members’ needs: By engaging members from all 12 areas and across the 4 pillars (community, sacred, schools, and soloists/small ensembles), we can align membership benefits with evolving interests and needs. Whether it’s finding and keeping ringers, growing audiences, discovering new music, staying financially viable, or things we haven’t yet imagined, our members have challenges that are better faced together.
- Grow and diversify membership with intention: HMA has the potential to become a home for every handbell musician. By building relationships with future members and deliberately introducing them to HMA’s expertise and resources as needed, we ensure relevance and strength for years to come.
- Make business decisions based on data, mission, and priorities: When we identify our successes in finances and member engagement, let’s analyze the factors that led to that success and build on what works best. By setting and working with clear goals, both short- and long-term, we position ourselves to weather uncertainty and be prepared for new opportunities.
- Stay strong internationally. Let’s continue to have a strong presence and voice in the International Handbell Committee, learning from other associations, and affirming our place in the global handbell world.
- Mentor future leaders. Most importantly, let’s help the next generation find their voice and purpose within HMA to ensure our work continues to thrive.
- With bold vision and teamwork, I know HMA will continue to grow the art of handbells everywhere. I would be honored to serve as your President-Elect and help lead us forward.
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