Dr. Allyse Dunnigan is the President of North Dakota ACDA and spends her days as a parent educator for North Dakota State University Extension. Allyse is married to Kyle, who works as the VP of IT at United Valley Bank. They have two young children, Eloise (7), and Bear (5). She spends her free time directing music for community theatre productions and researching culturally responsive practices in the vocal music classroom. Prior to parent education, Dr. Dunnigan taught for thirteen years at the elementary, middle school, high school, and collegiate levels, with most of the time being spent at Schroeder Middle School in Grand Forks, ND. Dr. Dunnigan received her bachelor’s degree in music education from North Dakota State University in 2011 where she also minored in psychology. She then…
Janice Gilbert is the High School Choir Director at Tea Area School District in Tea, SD where she has led a thriving choral program for over a decade. A graduate of South Dakota State University (B.M.E.) and Lipscomb University (M.Ed.), she began her teaching career in Arlington, SD, and later taught in Murfreesboro, TN, where she specialized in inclusive music education. Under her leadership, Tea Area choirs have performed at the South Dakota Inservice Music Conference (2018, 2025) and the SD-ACDA Mid-Winter Conference (2024), with students selected for State, Regional, and National Honor Choirs. Mrs. Gilbert has served the South Dakota ACDA in multiple leadership roles, including Southeast Region Representative (two terms), and Personnel Chair for the Treble Junior Honor Choir (four years). Her contributions to music education were recognized…
Nick Oswald is a Choral Director in the Ankeny Community School District. In Ankeny, he directs the 8th and 9th grade Bass Clef Choirs and co-directs the 8th Grade Show Choir at Southview Middle School. Prior to Ankeny, Nick spent 15 years teaching Choral Music at Muscatine High School and Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School. Nick received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa and his Master’s Degree in Music Education from Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. Nick currently serves as President for the Iowa Choral Directors Association. Nick has previously served ICDA as the Show Choir R&R Chair from 2013-2023, Southeast District Representative from 2009-2013 and OPUS Honor Choir Facilities Chair from 2016-2018. In 2020 and 2023, his Ninth Grade Bass Clef Choir…
Mark Johnson began his work with the Minnesota Boychoir in 1992 as the accompanist and was hired as the Artistic Director in 1993. Mr. Johnson holds a degree in vocal music education from St. Olaf College and he taught junior high choral music for six years before becoming full-time conductor of the Boychoir. From 1995 to 2007, he was a member of the staff at Albemarle, a summer music camp program of the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey. Mr. Johnson’s reputation in choral work, especially with children’s groups, has led to many invitations to work as a clinician, accompanist and adjudicator for honors choirs and festivals around the globe. He conducted the Minnesota ACDA 7th grade Boys Honor Choir in 2005, the Young Men’s track for the World…
