Candidate Statements

President - Lucia Schaefer (they/she)  I'm hoping to continue my role in FSGW as President this year building on my tenure as a Board member since 2020. With my support, FSGW moved the Mid-Winter Festival to Virginia in order to access new communities, restarted the annual picnic, and is bringing back the Washington Folk Festival in a sustainable way for future generations to enjoy. With 13 years in music education and a Master's in Choral Music, I advocate for arts as a human right. If elected, I will continue to prioritize rebuilding post-pandemic membership through expanded programming and community ties. Let's ensure FSGW remains a vital resource for folk arts appreciation in the DMV.

Vice President – Jamie Platt  Serving on the FSGW Board is an opportunity to contribute to the great work that the Society does, and I am proud to continue to serve as Vice-President. I am a long-time member of FSGW, and have been involved in the traditional dance and music community on both a local and national level for decades; I look forward to continuing to use my leadership experience to help this Board navigate the evolution and growth of FSGW into the future.

Treasurer – Joel Bluestein  I have been involved with FSGW for over 40 years. I served on the Board for 8 years in the 1980s including as President, Treasurer, and Special Events Chair. I have served twice on the Washington Folk Festival Coordinating Committee. I am just completing 7 years as Treasurer of the Country Dance and Song Society. I look forward to working with the new Board and staff of FSGW to manage the Society's finances.

Secretary - Alyssa Hemler I have enjoyed serving on the FSGW board the past four years and look forward to continuing in my role as secretary. I grew up going to the FSGW family dances and have been an avid dancer ever since. Starting in college, I have served on planning committees for multiple dance weekends including Hashdance Weekend and Contrastock locally. I pride myself on my organization and attention to detail and I am excited to combine my skills and my passion to further folk arts in the greater Washington region.

Dance Chair – Aristhide Nobanza  Allow me to share a bit about myself. I was born in Cameroon, where my native language is Ghomala. French is my second language, and I began learning English, my third language, during secondary school. I moved to the United States in 2011 and became a U.S. citizen in 2017. I enjoy soccer, pickleball, and, of course, dancing, which I find brings people together in a unique way.

In spring 2024, a friend introduced me to contra dance at Glen Echo, and I instantly felt a sense of belonging. The dedication of volunteers who bring dance to the community inspired me, and through dancing and volunteering, I experienced personal growth and connection. Though I am still learning about FSGW and the dance chair role, I am enthusiastic about contributing to this vibrant community. With the support of FSGW and my commitment, I believe I can grow into this role and help sustain the joy of dance.

Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to learning, serving, and growing with the FSGW community.

Program – Betsy Platt  I joined the FSGW board as Program Chair partway through this term to fill a vacancy, in order to restart FSGW-presented concerts that had lapsed during the pandemic. I’ve served on the board in the past as At-Large, Program Chair, and Vice President. My goal for this year is to continue to restore our public venue concerts, while continuing to support the local ecology of house concerts and other collaborations, with an eye to regrowing our membership. If elected, I’ll be actively seeking your input for performers, venues, and partnerships, help in supporting our concerts, and your ideas about future leadership for the concert chair position. Please reach out to me with your thoughts!

Publications – Paul Lieberman  I've been in love with dancing for 52 years, and took up contra dancing in the '80s. Since coming to Glen Echo in 2013, I've become passionate about contra and the community it fosters. I also have a long history with folk music; in the '90s I was one of four volunteer DJs on a weekly show on WTJU (U.Va.) presenting Celtic music. I have experience with publishing; in the '80s, I was part of a publishing collective, publishing books on social change. I was an editor and computer guru. I spend some of my time editing Wikipedia.

Membership – Sherry Smith  Hi, my name is Sherry Smith, and I am running for Membership Chair. I was introduced by friends to the Friday night contra dances. I enjoyed contra dancing so much, I decided to join FSGW. I discovered a plethora of dancing events, singing, concerts, and other venues. But the best benefit of FSGW is the lifelong friendships I have developed.

I am excited to serve for an organization that provides a wide variety of programming, sponsors events, and provides an avenue for communication and advertising for the folk community. I hope to help develop and encourage new ideas to increase our membership, in order to maintain all the benefits this organization has to offer to the DMV.

Publicity - Ingrid Gorman  Though I have moved in recent years to Pittsburgh, PA, I remain active and committed to folk music and the arts in general in the D.C. area. I still serve as programming chair for the Washington Folk Festival, and this year I am also co-chairing the event. Having served on the FSGW board previously for six years, most years as the Publicity Chair, I am excited to be considered for this role again, and assist in spreading the word about all that FSGW does to keep folk arts alive and thriving.

At Large – Liz Donaldson  A DC area native, I have long had FSGW on my radar. My early dancing years were consumed with Scottish Country dance, and evolved in the early 80s to playing music. About that time, I also found English Country dancing and Contra dancing and have participated in many FSGW events since that time.

FSGW continues to be of vital importance to our area, providing story telling, singing events, concerts, and annual events such as the Mid-Winter Festival, Folk Festival, and Annual Picnic. FSGW also co-sponsors many activities which brings the wider community into focus.

I have experience serving on many dance-related committees, and am currently co-scheduling the musicians and callers for the weekly FSGW English Dance, and have served in the past on the English Country Dance Committee. I am currently running for a Member-At-Large position on the FSGW Board, and hope to be able to count on your vote.

At Large - Ayan Kishore  I am a social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader that has dedicated my career to equity in education, workforce development and peace promotion, particularly leveraging digital solutions and other innovations. I am currently the CEO of Benetech, a global non-profit focused on education programs and technology for learners with differences and disabilities. I grew up with a father playing classical Indian music (slide guitar), brother the piano, and mother dancing (Indian folk dance), and my daughters are now dabbling with instruments and singing. I love live music and enjoys folk events around the world, from Burns Day in the UK and the Fête de la Musique in France to the beloved Washington Folk Festival, and hope to help bring the delight, learning and community from folk and cultural arts to others.

At Large - Tim Livengood  It would be my honor to return to serve on the FSGW Board and serve the folk community. After a break of several years, I returned to the Board last year. Serving the community and working with the other Board members is rewarding and has deepened my appreciation for the folk community, the audiences, participants, and performers alike. My own corner of the folk community has been in storytelling, including co-running the Grapevine Storytelling Series since 2014. I have also been able to serve the community as a member of the Washington Folk Festival program community, with responsibility for the storytelling program over the past several Festivals. I am looking forward to reviving the WFF this year – keep your eye on October.