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Stephanie Wiltse
Director,
Embellish
and Campana
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Stephanie is a founding member of Embellish, and is now in her fourteenth year as music director. She has twenty-nine years of handbell ringing experience. Stephanie also directs handbells at Trinity UMC, Calvin College, and Aquinas College. She is in the fourth year of a six-year term serving on the National Board of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR). She has been married to Ric for thirty-six years and they have two sons, Jake, 26 and Joe, 24. While not directing and selecting music, she enjoys singing, bead-stringing and weaving, overseas travel, reading books, and staying in touch with faraway friends and family via e-mail and FaceBook. |
SuLin Kotowicz
Director, Bellistic!
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SuLin has almost a decade of handbell ringing experience. Her musical journey began 22 years ago with Classical piano, and has expanded over the years to a variety of instruments. She is active in her church music department at Faith UMC, where she served as Associate Director of Worship for six years.
SuLin is very excited and honored to assume the role of Bellistic! director this year.
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Sue Cobb
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Sue is a CPA with Mierendorf and Co., P.C. in Comstock Park, and says ringing is her sanity during busy season! She has been ringing in church for more years than she cares to count and periodically with Embellish since January of 1997. Sue also sings in the Chancel Choir at First UMC and is Treasurer of the Dyer-Ives Foundation. She and her husband Bob have two adult sons and three grandchildren. When she is not ringing or running her calculator and computer, Sue likes to read, knit, walk, and play grandma.
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Russell Cooper
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24 years ringing handbells, and now 13 years with Embellish for Russell. He’s mostly talented on a bunch of musical instruments like the trombone, mouth harp, accordion, maracas, and the Aeolian wind harp. Married to Amy (14 years). Father to a feisty daughter going on 3 years. Aspiring photographer.
Russell is fan of a cappella, drum corps, photography, rollercoasters (210 and counting), and Facebook. You too can be a fan of Embellish on Facebook. |
Linda Coppard
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Linda returns for her 8th year of handbell bliss. Known to try just about anything, she is currently learning to fish “the big waters” of Lake MI for trout and salmon (and also cooking many new recipes…). Recently daring a tandem skydive jump (her 3rd one), Linda would like to try a hot-air balloon ride or hang gliding. Hey - why not? Linda is constantly surrounded by 3 dogs (not a hoarder yet) – 1 black, 1 brown, 1 golden. All Large. When not vacuuming, Linda enjoys spending time with her sweetie, going to local farmer’s markets, reading on the Kindle, and catching up with friends.
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Kathy Hadley
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Kathy is delighted to be "ringing in" her sixth season with Embellish. She first heard handbells during a Christmas program while she was in college and began ringing in 1998. She has rung with several church choirs and was also a member of Scottsdale Handbell Ensemble while living in Arizona. Highlights of her ringing career include the 1994 International Handbell Symposium in Australia and Pinnacle 2010 in Nashville, TN. Kathy works for DornerWorks Ltd. as an embedded software engineer, and is also active with her son's Boy Scout troop. She and her husband (John) have one son (Scott), two cats, one crested gecko and one frog. When she is not working or ringing, she enjoys vacations with her family and reading. |
Julie Hayes |
Julie is beginning her seventh season with Embellish, and has been playing both handbells and trombone for almost 30 years. She is a graduate of Alma College (Go, Scots!) and the Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts. Julie is a Certified Massage Therapist and teaches part-time at the Institute for Massage Education at KCHA. She also is mom to an active 6-year-old (Declan) and spends a good deal of her time shuttling him to/from his activities. Julie is married to Jim and they have a dog (Thane) and cat (Romeo) to round out the family. Julie has decided to fully embrace her mid-life status by taking cooking classes, resuming horseback riding lessons and beginning to practice yoga.
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Lauri Hoff
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Lauri is in her seventh year with Embellish and enjoys sharing the ringing experience with her sister, Lisa Sandee. She works for Brunswick Bowling & Billiards in Muskegon as the Transportation and Trade Compliance Manager. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Grand Valley State University, teaching International Logistics. Get ready for another Embellish baby -- as Lauri (and husband Bryan) are expecting their first child, a baby girl, due late January 2012. In her limited spare time, Lauri enjoys vegging to HDTV (Discovery, History, and NatGeo), cuddling with her shih-tzu doggies Hunter and Fisher, playing golf and volleyball, and water-skiing. She also enjoys recreational reading and playing Sudoku. |
Stacy Holtsclaw |
Stacy is looking forward to her second year with Embellish and loves being part of such a phenomenal ensemble. She began playing handbells while at Aquinas College, where she received a B.A. in Vocal Performance and also studied piano and trombone. Stacy and her husband Brian have a four-year-old daughter, Samantha, and two cats, Zander and Oz. Along with being a stay-at-home mom, Stacy sings with the Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids and at Holy Spirit Parish, and is currently enrolled at GRCC pursuing a degree in Radiologic Technology. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with her daughter, spending time with family and friends, a good book, a nice glass of wine (or two), and golf. |
Laura Jen
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Laura is in her sixteenth season with Embellish. She enjoys being involved in music at her church where she plays organ, piano, and flute, and directs the handbell choir. Laura and her husband, Casey, live in Kentwood. They have 3 children - Nathan, Tim, and Becky. Nathan recently graduated from Calvin College and is employed and living in St. Joseph, MI. Tim is in his sophomore year of studying at Calvin College and Becky is a senior at South Christian High School. Laura loves being a homemaker, and having the time to volunteer at school and at church. In her spare time she enjoys hobbies such as reading, cardmaking, scrapbooking, and baking.
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SuLin Kotowicz
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SuLin is happy to return for her sixth year ringing with Embellish. She has been ringing handbells for nine years and also plays piano and sings in her church choir. She is a Landscape Architect and works for OCBA in Grand Rapids. SuLin is the President of the Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, resulting in a fair amount of travel, which she loves. SuLin and her husband, Brian, reside with three fabulous cats, Dante, Boomer, and their newest addition, Monelli. In her spare time, she enjoys being with family and friends, cooking (an aspiring "foodie") and eating good food. She's always happy to give a local restaurant recommendation.
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Melissa Reiffer
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Melissa is happy to be celebrating her 10th season in Embellish this year! Her love of music started early when she started taking violin lessons at the age of 3. She has been active in music since then, playing in various orchestras and also singing in several different choirs. Melissa was introduced to handbells at her church at age 13 and has been ringing ever since. Melissa and her husband, Jason, are the proud parents to 2-year-old Nathan and baby Kayla born in July 2011. Their family also includes their dog, Scout, and 2 cats, Cosmo and Capri. Melissa is a stay at home mom to Nathan and Kayla which means her daily activities consist of playing Thomas the Train and playdough, doing LOTS of laundry, reading books about trucks and choo choos, coloring, changing LOTS of diapers, and spending as much time as possible with her wonderful husband and kids. When she has a few rare moments to herself, Melissa enjoys scrapbooking, posting pictures of her kids on Facebook, going to Meijer by herself and drinking Starbucks coffee (grande skinny vanilla latte). |
Lisa Sandee
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Lisa is entering her ninth year ringing in Embellish and has been ringing handbells for twenty+ years! When she is not ringing bells, she works at The Principal Financial Group as a licensed Account Executive for the Retirement and Investor Services Division. In her spare time, she enjoys singing with the praise team at Richmond Reformed Church, golfing, and shoe collecting (100 pair and counting). She also has a very small “crush" (infatuation) with Barry Manilow. She enjoys musicals and wishes that real life could be lived by spontaneously busting out into song and dance. In May of 2004, she married her husband, Brent a high-school teacher, football, and wrestling coach, who knows nothing about handbells. They have an adorable 8 year old daisy dog named Blitz and an even more adorable 2-ish year old son named Braxton, born January 2010. Lauri Hoff (also adorable), Lisa's sister, rings with the group as well.
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Lisa Vandertol
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Lisa is returning for her 12th season with Embellish. She currently works as a Maternal/Child Nurse and Childbirth Educator at the Mecosta County Health Department. She is married with three children, ages 12, 9, and 1 and has recently realized that soon, she will begin the 1st of 17 years having a teenager at home and is currently accepting unsolicited advice! In her rare spare time, Lisa serves as the Coordinator of GEMS Girls Club in Big Rapids. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing piano, singing, and cheering on her children during their various sporting events.
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Dennis Willemsen |
Dennis is returning for his fourth year with Embellish. While he spends most of his time ringing the big bass bells, he is also responsible for getting the “ton” of bells and equipment to each performance as the resident trailer hauler. Dennis currently works as an Operations Manager for Gordon Food Service, where he has been employed the past 26 years. While he still enjoys playing various sports, his passion is coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. |
Heather Willemsen |
Heather is excited to be ringing in her fourth year with Embellish. Growing up playing the piano and singing in choir gave her a deep love for music. So when she was first asked to play handbells, she jumped at the chance. Twenty some years later she still loves playing – how can you grow tired of this?! Heather lives in Byron Center with her husband Dennis (the guy playing all those BIG bells) and their two sons, Jacob (12) and Isaac (10). While her main focus is caring for her sons, she also works part-time as an Office Assistant for both a Sales and a National Sales Director within the Mary Kay organization. In her spare time she enjoys taking long walks with her hubby, reading, and cheering (rather loudly) at her sons’ many ball games.
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Board of Trustees
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President |
Lauri Hoff |
Treasurer |
Susan Cobb |
Secretary |
Joe Houdek |
Concert Coordinator |
SuLin Kotowicz |
Marketing Coordinator |
Heather Willemsen |
Member at Large |
Nathan Biller |
Member at Large |
Stacy Holtsclaw |
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