News + Blog

Congratulations to our incoming board members, Tarisa Tognetti, Treasurer, and Sarah Curtis and Vivian Abramowitz, board members at large. 

Many thanks to outgoing board member, Nancy King, who served as chair of the membership committee and responded to all of the “contact us” emails.

The nominating committee, Joane Rylander, Chair, Sue Lesser, and Tarisa Tognetti, received the following nominations for board officers and directors: Tarisa Tognetti and Michael Schroeder for Treasurer (one open position), and Sarah Curtis and Vivian Abramowitz for board member at large (two open positions). According to the CMSA bylaws, the elected board members are Tarisa Tognetti, Treasurer (2023-2025), Sarah Curtis (2023-2025), and Vivian Abramowitz (2023-2025).

Tarisa Tognetti has been an extremely active, non-playing member of the CMSA for the past ten years.  She has been the CMSA Treasurer since 2018 and is currently running to retain the position. She also serves on the CMSA nominating and scholarship committees and has been an active participant and information assistant on the convention registration tables for 6 years. She assisted in the planning and hosting of the very successful 2014 convention in Portland, Oregon. Tarisa’s background includes military service where she served as a Chief Financial Officer for the Air Force in Europe and various locations in the United States. Today she serves the public as an Administrative Officer for the Department of Justice, U.S Attorney’s Office overseeing its Budget, Acquisitions, Human Resources, and Information Technology operations and staff.

Sarah Curtis has served on the CMSA Board of Directors since 2020 and led the host committee for the 2019 convention in Normal, Illinois. Sarah has chaired the Publicity committee all three years and recently took on Membership Committee as well. Sarah is the editor and lead writer of the CMSA e-newsletters and Special Edition emails. She and the Publicity team work hard to provide timely (and sometimes entertaining) information prior to the annual convention and throughout the year. Sarah has worked in financial services since 1985; as a Financial Consultant at Wells Fargo Advisors, she feels privileged to work with clients to help them achieve their financial goals. Sarah plays mandolin in the Orpheus Mandolin Orchestra in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

Vivian Abramowitz has been a member of the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra (KMGO) since its founding in 2004, and has played both octave mandolin and (currently) mandocello in the orchestra. Her musical background includes trombone and solo and ensemble classical guitar. When not playing in the orchestra, she plays rhythm guitar in an old-time stringband, and is the guitarist and vocalist in a traditional Irish band. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the KMGO, and most recently served as co-chair of the 2022 CMSA convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan.