Board Member Katherine Baird holds an M.M. in Music Education with a Kodály Emphasis, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance from Holy Names College, where she studied with Jennifer Culp, cellist with the Kronos Quartet. Other teachers have included Margaret Tait, Peter Shelton, Stephen Harrison, and most recently, Andrew Luchansky. She has completed all three levels in Orff-Schulwerk training from Mills College (under the tutelage of Doug Goodkin, James Harding and Sofia Lopez-Ibor) and also completed all levels (1-10) of Suzuki Cello Teacher-Training with teachers including Barbara Wampner, Tanya Carey, Nancy Hair and Pamela Devenport. In her capacity as Director of Preparatory Music at Holy Names, she created and implemented many new programs: Suzuki Parent Education; Kodály-based early childhood pre-instrumental classes for children aged 0-5 years old; Kodály-based adult education classes; and the integration of Kodály-based musicianship in the string group classes and orchestras. Katherine is a passionate cello teacher, as well as strong advocate for choral education and equal access. She currently resides in Utah where she is a faculty member of Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City, and also operates a private cello studio.

Board Member Susie Bodnar was born and raised in Miskolc, Hungary and moved to the USA in 2005. She is a classically trained pianist who has performed in chamber orchestra settings in Italy, Germany and Finland. Her music education included the standard 6-year music education curriculum—music theory including the Kodály method, and piano. Susie holds a Bachelor’s of Science in International Business from Avans University, Breda, the Netherlands, a Bachelor’s of Science in Business from Budapest Business School, Hungary and a Master’s degree in International Business and Economics from the Andrassy German University of Budapest, Hungary. In addition to her music activities, she is a Supply Chain Professional with over 18 years of business experience. Susie was Adjunct Lecturer of Supply Chain Management at the California State University Fresno Executive MBA Program from 2014-2018. She is currently Senior Program Manager in Worldwide Logistics BPR at Apple, Inc. Most recently she served as Founder and Principal of Neowise, Inc. providing supply chain consulting services to Pfizer Inc, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the 2020 pandemic. Susie is an active member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and has held various board positions. She is excited to serve on KFME’s board to preserve Hungary’s heritage and musical values in the United States.

Board Member János Horváth is a celebrated Senior Research Engineer at Dolby Laboratories, Inc. with a specialized expertise in Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Video Coding, and Video Processing. His academic achievements include a Ph.D. in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Purdue University, supervised by the renowned Prof. Edward J. Delp, and a BSc from Budapest University of Technology and Economics. At Purdue University, Dr. Horvath gained recognition in image integrity and forensic techniques. His contributions to the Medifor and Semafor programs have had a significant impact on the verification of satellite images and deepfake detection. As an active member of several eminent professional organizations like IEEE Signal Processing Society and IEEE Computer Society, János's collaborative endeavors emphasize the significance of united efforts in technological advancements. His commitment to academic integrity is evident in his roles as a peer reviewer for esteemed conferences and journals. Based in the bustling California Bay Area, János effortlessly merges his deep-rooted Hungarian cultural appreciation with his professional aspirations. This blend of heritage and technological evolution positions him as a distinguished figure in his domain.

President Thomas Kite holds a Doctorate in music education, Master’s degrees in organ and theory (University of Houston, 1985, 1973), and a Master in Music Education degree (Kodály Emphasis, HNU, 1977). His BA is in Music (Organ Performance, California State University, Northridge, 1973). Dr. Kite’s experience in education includes pre-K, through graduate level and teacher supervision. Also, as a second career in the business community, he worked in IT development, systems support, and property management for the mortgage industry. Kite has taught summer courses and seminars (Texas, California, Wyoming, Calgary) in Kodály principles throughout his teaching career and was awarded Teacher Educator of the Year in 1992. In addition to his professional engagements, Kite is also active in his community as a computer services volunteer at the local library. In retirement, Kite continues to be active by writing about, and collecting materials for the use of solfa as it relates to functional harmony, as well as canons and rounds for use in teaching functional harmony. As a lifelong student and supporter of Kodály’s great works, Kite has incorporated Kodály’s views into all facets of life, for the Kodály philosophy reaches beyond the music Kodály used as his vehicle. Singing has always been close to Kite’s heart, as expressed in the words of Ronald Blythe (set to music by Steven Sametz): “I have had pleasure enough. I have had singing!”

Treasurer Anne Laskey is Professor Emerita of Music of Holy Names University in Oakland, California. She retired in 2015 after directing the Kodály Center for Music Education for over 20 years. During that time, she also taught pedagogy, practicum and folk music and supervised student teaching in neighboring schools. Anne holds an M.A. in Music from Claremont Graduate University and a Kodály Specialist Certificate from Holy Names. Her previous positions include fourteen years as Music Specialist at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco and five years as Assistant Conductor of the San Francisco Boys Chorus. She is a frequent presenter at regional, national and international conferences, specializing on the connections between pedagogy and folk music. Together with colleague Gail Needleman, she is the co-creator of Holy Names University’s online American Folk Song Collection. Anne served three terms on the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) board, most recently as Higher Education Representative, and was the national program chair for the 2004 OAKE Conference in San Francisco. She received OAKE’s Outstanding Educator Award in 2008, Holy Names University’s Faculty Award in 2013 and OAKE’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.

Board Member Nancy Linford comes to the KFME board with many years’ experience teaching children Kodály-inspired classroom vocal music in Hayward, Piedmont, Oakland, San Francisco and Albany. Her life was transformed by the Master’s Degree she earned from Holy Names University which gave her the tools to pursue her passion of working with children in a musical context. She continued her relationship with HNU for years by mentoring student teachers enrolled at the Kodály Center. While no longer teaching in schools, Nancy continues to work with the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir where she conducts both a girls’ and a boys’ group in the training department. Nancy has served in various roles with the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators, including being President, and now serves on the Choir Committee of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and looks forward to supporting the singers in the select choirs at their National Conference in March 2024.

Vice President Ildikó Thész Salgado was born and raised in Hungary, where she earned a diploma in Choral Conducting and Music Education from the Liszt Academy of Music in 1999. She was on the faculty of the Kodály Center at Holy Names University since 2001 until its closing, where she taught Musicianship and Choral Conducting. Her teaching experiences include working with the Grace Cathedral Men and Boys Choir, where she taught musicianship and vocal training to the boy singers. She directed the Intermediate Chorus at the San Francisco Boys chorus from 2015 until 2021. Salgado has held choral and musicianship workshops for NCAKE, OAKE and other Kodály affiliated organizations in Utah, Washington, and throughout California.

Secretary Marni Strome served as conductor and Artistic Director of the Calgary Children’s Choir for 35 years; under her leadership, the Calgary Children’s and Calgary Youth Choirs completed fourteen tours—to various parts of Europe, North America, Japan, and Canada. Marni also directed the St. Giles Presbyterian Church choir for more than twenty years. For over thirty years, she worked as a public school music educator in Calgary, Canada, in a variety of settings from K- grade 12. Currently, she teaches K-8 music at St. Brigid School, San Francisco, and serves as an instructor at the University of Alberta summer Kodály program teaching Musicianship, Conducting, and Choir. Marni completed her Masters of Music degree at Holy Names University in Oakland, CA, with an emphasis in Kodály inspired music education. She is grateful for the exemplary instruction and mentorship that she experienced there from Maree Hennessy, János Horváth, Ildi Salgado, and Gemma Arguelles. She has worked as a instructor at Holy Names University, the University of Calgary, the Silverwinds Hutterite colony in Manitoba, and as a volunteer teacher in Kimberely, South Africa, for numerous summers.