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.