Adriana Mallett
Grants Coordinator
Adriana (Ed’s wife) has also been involved since the beginning, keeping things together and running on track, despite Ed’s (unintentional) efforts to derail and/or head off in unhelpful directions. Her help has been – and continues to be – irreplaceable. Adriana is currently working towards her master’s degree in occupational therapy at Grand Valley State University, and also helps to keep things running smoothly at Spectrum Hospital in Big Rapids.
Paul Hillman
Operations Consultant
“I’m the retired managing partner of a Grand Rapids IT consulting firm and transitioned after retirement (inadvertently) to a full-time business professor at Grand Valley State University. I married my Big Rapids High School sweetheart and have three powerful women as daughters along with two grandkids! I volunteer at Tuba Bach because I believe in their mission, I love to give back, and Ed is just a cool guy to hang around with.”
Jeff Gabalis
Technical Coordinator
Jeff has been a great source of help and support in all things technical – from initial website creation and concert recordings to getting us through the pandemic years and entering the realm of live-streaming, he has been an indispensable part of the Tuba Bach family since the very beginning. When not working on Tuba Bach projects, Jeff is a member of the media productions staff at Ferris State University.
Jeff Pedelty
Photographer and Technical Assistant
(Other) Jeff has been doing a great job of documenting all our concert events over the years. He’s at every show, camera in hand, getting great shots, and yet manages to remain (for the most part!) unseen and out of the way. His expertise has also been very much appreciated getting us set up for the live-streaming world, and he’s also recently begun a series of candid video interviews with Tuba Bach artists. Even though he regularly threatens to retire, Jeff still works at Ferris State University in the engineering program.
Tuba Bach Board of Directors
Katie McInnis
Chair
Katie is in her second year as our board chair and does a fabulous job of keeping things running smoothly. Besides wrangling the board (and Ed) and running meetings, she enthusiastically helps Adriana with grant writing and is always a welcoming smile as she greets our concertgoers. When not Tuba Baching, Katie is the director of Ferris State University’s choir, the Treble Makers children’s choir, the United Church of Big Rapids choir, and lots of other good things.
Amy Buse
Treasurer
We are delighted to have Amy as our treasurer, and she does an amazing job of keeping track of all the business details for Tuba Bach. Recently retired from Ferris State University, Dr. Buse has a remarkable mind for detail, and her business background has proven invaluable time and time again to our organization. Amy can often be found (or not found, as the case may be) enjoying her retirement from the captain’s seat of her motor home, traveling the U.S. and beyond.
Jane Pedelty
Secretary
Recently retired from being the manager of Ferris State University’s Copy Center and Printing Services, Jane has been with Tuba Bach since the beginning, managing all our design and printing needs. Even in retirement, she still is a wonderful consultant and advisor, and her managerial skills are very much appreciated as she keeps track of all things Tuba Bach. Jane is also an active Grandma, involved in her church, and works at Hutson, Inc.
Steven Beilfuss
As owner of local radio station Sunny 97.3 FM, Steve has been one of Tuba Bach’s chief publicists over the years, and we are so pleased that he began broadcasting our concerts live back in 2020! Studio time to talk about Tuba Bach and airtime for concerts are always appreciated and having Steve and Paula on our board has been just great!
Jerena Keys
Jerena has long been a supporter of the arts in our community, serving on the boards of a variety of organizations, including the Big Rapids Festival of the Arts, STAGE-M, the Friends of the Library, and of course Tuba Bach. Upon retiring from Ferris State University, Jerena entered seminary and began a second career as a pastor. Now enjoying her well-deserved second retirement, Jerena is still a special member of our board.
Janet Mallett
Janet (Mom) has been a part of the project since the very beginning – Ed quite literally would not be doing any of this if it weren’t for her! An active musician for many, many years, Mom serves as organist at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Big Rapids and also plays in the Ferris State University band. When not playing, she’s busy gardening, sewing, and baking.
Gunder Myran
As the former president of Washtenaw Community College, Dr. Myran brings to Tuba Bach a wealth of knowledge and managerial experience that we are very fortunate to be able to benefit from. Gunder’s enthusiasm is contagious, and his leadership skills incredible. Gunder also helps manage the Marliss Myran Memorial Fund, making sure our commitment to educational excellence is always at the forefront of what we do.
Barbara Borth
Bob Clark
Mary Clark
Cameron DeLong
Shirley Garlick
Fred Guenther
Devon Herrell
Jeanna Lamar
Craig McGirr
Glen Pepper
Barbara Schwaderer
Stephen Sobers
Scott Whitney
We have appreciated the time and effort put in by each and every one of our past board members. Their collective contributions, along with our current board members, have helped Tuba Bach become an outstanding organization in the Big Rapids Community for over seventeen years. Thank you all so much!
Arley Ricketts (June 2022 – September 2022) – Ferris State University, music & entertainment business management major
Ben McWilliams (June 2021 – May 2022) – Michigan State University, music performance major
Brandon Kreher (June – August 2021) – Michigan State University, communications major
Alex Wolke (May – August 2019) – Michigan State University, music performance major
These students have all been great to work with, and their assistance has been very much appreciated. We are grateful for the time they were able to spend with Tuba Bach and wish them all well in their future endeavors!