Candidates for the 2023 Alumni Board Election

Below are the statements from the candidates running for seats on the Alumni Board in the 2021 election. All Network members will receive a link to vote online via SurveyMonkey. Voting will begin on Wednesday, December 13, 2021 and remain open until Wednesday, September 20 at 11:59 pm Eastern time.

    

Kenneth Hammond '12

When I was in Pops, I played trombone, served as Publicity Chair and Co-President, and undertook special projects such as procuring a theremin for a rendition of The Spellbound Concerto. More recently, as a founding member of the Network and later its Vice President (2017-2021) and President (2021-present), I led the effort to gain recognition as a Shared Interest Group from HAA in 2015 and have managed the Network’s website and email communications. I hope to continue serving as an Alumni Board member to give back to an orchestra that has given so much to me.

Jeffrey Iuliano '13

In the Pops, I was a cellist (class of 2013), and served as a librarian and then president of the orchestra. The Pops has been a central part of so many students’ experience, and is a uniquely awesome community. The Alumni Network works to maintain the broader Pops community beyond the current orchestra, which it also supports. I appreciate the thought and effort the Alumni Board has put into building the Alumni Network, and I want to continue seeing it grow.

Andrew Mazzanti '17

Hello Popsies near and far! My name is Andrew Mazzanti, and I graduated from Harvard in 2017. I played trombone with Pops for 4 years, was on creative team for 7 of our concerts, and did some time as attendance manager, co-president, social chair, and student conductor. Now I’m doing my MD/PhD at the University of Toronto, and wanting to give back to this great organization, leaning on my experience music directing a medical school musical and my wealth of experience with Pops, including being co-president as the alumni board was first being formalized. I’m looking forward to helping Pops continue to thrive!

Kathryn Norman '15

Hi all! I was in Pops from 2011-2015 during which time I was a proud second violinist and served as Co-President, Financial Officer, Attendance Manager, and Creative Team member. I have loved being part of the Alumni Board over the past four years because it has helped me to stay connected to this wonderful network of Popsies! I would love to serve for another term in order to continue supporting the Pops mission as well as help Pops alumni stay engaged in the group.

Michael Pak '23

Hi, I’m Michael! During my time in Pops, I served as Co-President and Student Conductor along with a bunch of other Exec Board roles. I primarily played violin, plus percussion on occasion. As a recent grad (I graduated this year), I have a strong familiarity with the orchestra and its operations. I would be excited to strengthen the alumni base and maintain our connections to this wonderful orchestra while also doing our best to support it.

Mary Ellen Stebbins '08

My name is Mary Ellen Stebbins and I would be honored to continue serve on the Pops Alumni Board. In my past years on the board I have loved connecting with alums through the network and getting to know the current undergraduates! I am excited to keep building support for the orchestra among our members through events like the mini reunion in May and gathering alums together to attend Pops concerts. In addition, I am committed to working with the OFA to find ways to further increase Allen's salary.

 I would love to continue to serve the Pops and look forward to forging a deeper connection between alumni and undergraduates and strengthening alumni support through continued fundraising and promotion of Pops events!

Elizabeth Weinbloom '07

Elizabeth Weinbloom '07 had to scroll an alarmingly long time through her photo roll to find the most recent picture of her with her cello, but here it is. She was a Pops co-president and gag-writer in her time, and she lives up to that early promise by occasionally organizing various pick-up ensembles in the Boston area and playing with sight-reading orchestras that don't require her to actually learn her parts. The most Pops-like thing she did recently was to spend two weeks writing a slapdash musical adaptation of Pride & Prejudice for her friends to perform at a party, just for the hell of it. At Arts First last spring she was rushing over to the main tent to hear Pops and her companion asked what Pops was going to play and she said “Dunno, Star Wars probably” and, as if that were the cue, immediately Pops crashed into the opening bars of Star Wars. It was very satisfying.