USAIHC Board of Directors elects new Officers and appoints three new Board Members
Bloomington, IN - September 20, 2020
The USAIHC Board of Directors elected three Officers and appointed three new Members to the Board at their Annual Meeting, held virtually on Saturday, September 19, 2020. This expands the Board to 26 members, and we appreciate the wealth of expertise each new member brings as we continue to plan the 12th Competition in 2022.
Officers
l to r: joyce claflin, barbara lepke-sims. clarence miller
Joyce Claflin was elected Chief Executive Officer - a newly created position within the organization. Joyce resides in Bloomington, Indiana, where she has worked as a CPA, both in public accounting and private industry. She was Senior Vice President, Administration and Chief Financial Officer of the Indiana University Foundation for nine years, before owning two businesses. Joyce joined the USAIHC Board in 2014, and previously served as Assistant Treasurer, and Treasurer. Joyce’s in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the operations of the organization is an invaluable asset to the Board of Directors as they prepare for the 12th Competition in 2022 and ensure the future of the competition.
Barbara Lepke-Sims was elected Vice President. Barbara is a free-lance harpist in the Denver, Colorado, area, and maintains an active performing and teaching career. She served on the American Harp Society Board of Directors for 18 years, and in 2017 received the American Harp Society “Lifetime Achievement Award”. Barbara joined the USAIHC Board in 2019 as Member At Large, and as Vice President will steer the Development Committee.
Clarence Miller was elected Treasurer. Dr. Miller is an internationally recognized civil engineer, and former resident of Bloomington, who currently divides his time between Chicago and Florida. He has been active with the USAIHC since 2001, serving as Treasurer or Vice President of Finance. Dr. Miller and wife Nancy have hosted competition contestants from 2001 to 2016, and contributed "The Rachel Mary and John Isaac Jones Memorial Prize" in honor of Nancy's parents as one of the competition contestant prizes.
Board Members
L to R: Janet harrell, john karaagac, elzbieta szmyt
Janet Harrell is the Chief Executive Officer of Lyon & Healy Harps Inc. in Chicago. She previously served Lyon & Healy Harps from 1984 to 1999 as Controller, Vice President and ultimately for ten years, President. In between, she spent fifteen years as Vice President of Finance and Operations at American Designs, Inc., an architectural millwork firm. Janet earned her bachelor's degree in finance and accounting at the University of Dayton.
John Karaagac teaches Comparative Politics and National Security Policy at Indiana University's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and teaches American Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies SAIS, summer program. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Cambridge University and UC Berkeley.
Elzbieta (Ela) Szmyt, a native of Poland, is currently Professor of Music and Chair of the Harp Department at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has regularly conducted master classes and performed solo and chamber recitals in Europe, North America and Asia. She holds degrees from the Chopin Academy of Music, Warsaw University, and Indiana University, where she studied with Distinguished Professor Emerita Susann McDonald.
