Kate Tombaugh, Executive Director
Mezzo-Soprano Kate Tombaugh, originally from Streator, Illinois, has sung professionally across the United States. She trained as a young artist with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, and Utah Opera. Additionally, she was a Stern Fellow with the LA-based ‘Songfest’ and sang in the AIMS Opera Studio in Graz, Austria. She was a two-time 3rd place winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions’ Central Regional Finals and recently won first place in the 10th annual Mildred C. Miller International Vocal Competition, all-mezzo edition, hosted by the Pittsburgh Festival Opera.
Her roles have spanned the title roles in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and L’italiana in Algeri, Handel’s Ariodante, and Massenet’s Cendrillon, ‘Hansel’ in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, ‘Annie Oakley’ in Irving Berlin’s Annie, Get Your Gun, ‘ Carrie Pipperidge’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, and ‘Mad Margaret’ in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore.
She holds a masters in opera performance from CCM, the music conservatory at the University of Cincinnati, and dual undergraduate degrees in English Literature and Vocal Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University.
2024-2025 Poco a Poco Board of Directors
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Kevin Mangan
Board President
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Michele Piel
Vice President
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Jenny Suydam
Secretary
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Marty Payne
Treasurer
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Bob Mangialardi
Board Member
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Barb Ehling
Board Member
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Matthew Tombaugh
Board Member
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Ellen Yedinak
Board Member
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Terri McTaggart
Board Member
2024 Poco Faculty
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Madison Rose
Administrative Assistant
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Rachel Westerlund
Admin/Marketing Manager
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Shelby Taylor-Schroeder
Childcare & Guest Lecturer
2024 Poco Faculty & Jr. Faculty
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Mary Bond
Faculty
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Ingrid Kammin
Faculty
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Kevin Mangan
Faculty
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Robert Mangialardi
Faculty
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Emily Schaumberg
Faculty
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Ascher Taylor-Schroeder
Faculty
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Kathy Tombaugh
Faculty
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Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts
Faculty
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Ellen Yedinak
Faculty
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Anya Liu
Jr. Faculty
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Nathaniel Harcar
Jr. Faculty
Past Board Members
Jean Drendel
Terri McTaggart
Kevin Mangan
Gavin Finefield
Katie Swanson
Cara Luckey Reynolds