Board of Directors

 

Laurie Ciasullo

Laurie has been singing for as long as she can remember, in churches and high school choirs.  It was not until 2013, however, that she began to explore a more complex singing environment with The Choristers and has never looked back.  She credits fellow Choristers for finally convincing her to try out, it was not an easy task!  Laurie counts being “hip-deep” in a complicated piece of music with her fellow singers as one of the most energizing and rewarding experiences in her busy life.  Laurie is a data analyst and lives with her husband, (and Chorister Usher) Nick.  They have a beautiful daughter Mia and a large, vibrant extended family who keeps life perpetually fun.

 

 

Nathan Folsom-Kovarik, President

Nathan sang in high school musicals, and in the Rutgers University Glee Club through college.  He moved to Philadelphia in 2002 to work as a programmer and data analyst for Afilias USA, Inc.  After his wife, Sarah, joined him in Philly, Nathan returned to singing with the Philadelphia Chorus.  Looking for even more, Nathan tried out for the Choristers after being impressed by the ambitious Elijah Oratorio in 2015.  Nathan is proud to have joined the Choristers Board recently, in 2017.

  

Sarah Folsom-Kovarik

Sarah Folsom-Kovarik has loved singing since she was young!  A native of Tallahassee, FL, Sarah studied voice privately beginning at age 15, and completed her bachelor's in music at Florida State University.  In addition to singing with The Choristers, she is a member of The Philadelphia Chorus, where she has been a featured soloist in works such as Mendelssohn's Elijah, Rutter’s Magnificat, and Forrest’s Requiem for the Living.   She also greatly enjoys musical theater - she was a student of Tallahassee’s Young Actors Theatre for many years, and currently performs with community theater groups including the Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Everybody's Theater Company, Ghostlight Theater, Methacton Community Theater, and the Savoy Company.  Sarah is happy to be helping out with the Choristers Board!   

 

Dianna McGoldrick

Dianna has been an alto since grade school, singing in numerous choirs, musicals, and madrigal ensembles. She joined The Choristers in 1998 and has joyfully served on the Board for many years. In addition to her activities with The Choristers, Dianna enjoys playing ukulele and traveling near and far with her husband Mic and her two adult children.  She has recently retired from being CFO for Grace Inspired Ministries and is enjoying life in retirement!

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Miller, Vice President

Crystal joined The Choristers as an alto in 2011 after reading an ad in the local paper and was welcomed onto the Board in 2023. She has been singing anything and anywhere since she learned to talk, including church and school choirs, ensembles, plays, show choirs, university chorales, and Singing City of Philadelphia. Born and raised in Alabama, Crystal moved to the Philadelphia area after completing her bachelors and masters degrees at The University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) to begin her career in health insurance and health care 20 years ago. Crystal is a licensed attorney practicing Elder Law, Estate Planning and Administration with Saulino Law LLC, and she also consults health insurance organizations on management and business strategies. Crystal resides in Collegeville, PA, and can be found running (slowly) with the Norristown Run Club, serving on the Norristown Area Education Foundation Board, and volunteering for various local charities and events.

  

Debby Nemecek

Debby joined The Choristers Board in 2024 serving as a "non-singer" on the Board.  

I find the synergy of multiple voices creates an emotional impact, be it in big choral numbers at an opera or a Choristers concert. The ability to not just be a 'passive' audience member but actively support The Choristers was an opportunity I could not miss out on.

 Debby lives in West Chester, PA and works in technology for healthcare companies. Debby enjoys cooking, kayaking, camping and active adventure travel.

 

Jennifer Schwing

Jennifer joined the Choristers in 2018 and the Board in 2023.  She has been a first soprano since high school and through the college choir at Trenton State College, then singing with Princeton Pro Musica after graduation for 3 years.  Taking time off from singing for her full-time career in the sciences and raising 2 sons, she was grateful to find a local semi-professional group to continue her musical passion.  Jennifer comes from a musical family; her dad has played the fiddle all his life, her son Nathan plays the guitar (self-taught) and her son Brian is involved in musical theatre and sang with the Pennsylvania Youth Chorale for 2 years.  Her cat Pizza also finds time to sing in the early mornings, when he assumes that no one is listening.  In addition to singing, Jennifer works in pharma and is a theme park aficionado.

Nolan K. Spade

A native of the Philadelphia area, Nolan has enjoyed performing music since singing in the cherub choir of First Presbyterian Church, Haddonfield NJ in the mid 80's. The experience certainly had an impact on his love of music - he's gone on to pursue a life-long semi-professional career as a church organist. He has a passion for small-church ministries and maximizing small resources to do "big church" things.

He currently serves as organist for All Saints Episcopal-Rhawnhurst, since Pentecost of 2022. His previous posts include Memorial Church of Saint Luke in Bustleton, Saint Stephen's Memorial in Riverside, NJ and Christ Church, Palmyra, NJ. He also loves performing very informal recitals whenever he can, and has done-so as far away as the Crimean Memorial Church in Istanbul, Turkiye.  He enjoys studying and implementing special liturgies.

His music education began at the age of 8 with piano, and organ in the 10th grade at the Haddonfield Music School. He has studied primarily with Dennis Elwell, formerly of Overbrook Presbyterian Church. 

Nolan joined the Choristers for the Spring 2022 season after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper, and has been a member of the choir since. He became a member of the board in Fall 2024. By day, Nolan works freelance in healthcare compliance and carries several medical coding certificates. He enjoys international travel when he can, and spending time with Midnight, his canine friend. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sue Spitko, Treasurer

Sue has been singing with The Choristers since its founding in 1978 and has been the choir’s treasurer for almost as long. Sue developed her love of singing at Ursinus College where she sang in the college choir and Meistersingers with her husband, Dave, The Choristers’ founder and Artistic Director and currently sings alto with The Choristers. She works as a senior software developer with Business Management International and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and traveling with her husband. Sue and Dave live in Montgomery Township with their seven cats (yes, that is correct, seven), Braveheart, Chip, Shadow, Oreo, Walnut, Zorro and Spirit.

 

Tom Sweitzer

Tom has been involved in music since the age of 10 when he took up the trombone.  Since then, he has played trombone, euphonium and tuba in a variety of musical organizations including several wind ensembles, the Cornell Symphony Orchestra, the Lafayette (IN) Symphony Orchestra, a dixieland band, a few different drum and bugle corps, multiple swing/big bands, multiple brass choirs, pit orchestras for various musicals, and many ad hoc musical ensembles.  In 2004, Tom started singing and exploring a whole new repertoire of music. Tom joined The Choristers in 2010 (?) for their production of Mendelssohn's Elijah and has been with the group ever since.  

 Professionally, Tom spent 21 years doing biochemistry and cell biology in early drug discovery for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals until his retirement in 2022.  Tom is spending his time in retirement cooking, gardening, and digging deeper into the music literature.

 

Karen Work

Karen Work has been a member of the Choristers since 2018.  Professionally, she works as the Parish Administrator at Church of the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Harleysville, where she is also a member of the Adult Choir and Handbell Choir.  She enjoys reading, knitting, crocheting, and working seasonally at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Furman University and an Associate of Arts degree in Social Services from Bucks County Community College, and she is always looking for the next interesting thing to learn.