Meet Your Officers

CHAIR (chair.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Michelle Tejada has served as Area 9 Membership Chair, Educational Activities Coordinator, and South Texas Representative. She began ringing in 1981 and has performed with various handbell choirs and ensembles. In addition, Michelle has performed as a soloist. Michelle was the founder of Bell Power, a special needs handbell choir, and served as their first director. She also directed a youth handbell choir. Michelle was a member of the West Texas Handbell Association Coordinating Committee from 1995-2002, serving as Treasurer from 1996-2002 and festival coordinator in 2000, 2001, and 2002. After founding the handbell ministry at Floresville United Methodist Church in Floresville, Texas and serving as the first director, Michelle stepped down in order to return to ringing.  Michelle also works part-time as an audiologist and full-time wife and mother.

CHAIR-ELECT (chairelect.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Ruth Seiwell is the Practice Manager for Parking Way Pediatrics, a pediatric medical group.  She also serves as the Director of Handbells at First United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson Texas.  She is a ringing member of the Houston Bronze Ensemble and serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the organization.  Ruth is currently the President of the Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Handbell Association and is the chair for FebFest for Bells 2007, a position she has filled several times.  Ruth also serves on the Board of Directors and as the Handbell Camp Director for Texas Conference Choir Clinic for music and worship arts.

SECRETARY (secretary.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Sueda Luttrell is a native of Lufkin, Texas, and received the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance from Baylor University. She and her husband, Jeff, reside in Fort Worth and are the parents of two daughters, Meredith and Grace.

Sueda’s ringing experience began during her high school days at First Baptist Church in Lufkin. After many years of ringing in various church choirs, she began solo ringing in 1995. She held the position of Georgia State Chair for AGEHR Area IV from 2000-2002 and regularly serves as a clinician, conductor, and solo performer for state, area, and national handbell events. She is a published author on handbell related topics, and her solo compositions are published with STEP (Solo To Ensemble Project), Lifeway Press, and Red River Music. Sueda has performed throughout the United States, including presenting the featured solo ringing concert at the 50th Anniversary of AGEHR in Norfolk, Virginia in 2004. In addition, she was a member of the 2009 Handbell Notation Committee and serves as Secretary for AGEHR Area 9.

Sueda is a member of the East Texas Handbell Ensemble, under the direction of Arnold Sherman. She is employed as Organist/Handbell Director at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Texas.

TREASURER (treasurer.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Marta Sullivan (photo/bio unavailable)

PAST CHAIR (pastchair.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Karen Thompson has a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree with a music major from Austin College of Sherman, Texas and is currently serving at First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth where her duties include conducting four handbell ensembles and a youth vocal choir. She also rings with the Concert Bells of Fort Worth (a semi-professional community handbell choir) and is the present and founding President of the ensemble.  As a handbell clinician and conductor, Karen has taught classes and conducted festivals at area and national events.  Karen has served on national Handbell Musicians of America (the Guild) committees, and is currently chair of Area 9 (Texas and Oklahoma).

MEMBERSHIP (membership.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Steven Eddington is, by day, a Century 21 Realtor, managing 17 rental homes.  Ringing handbells since 1993, he is now the director of the Believers Bell Choir at First United Methodist Church of Owasso, and has helped build the bell program to include three full choirs there.  In addition to being the Membership Chair for Area 9, Steven is a member of the Membership Working Committee under the direction of Katie Schlegel, Director of Membership & Administration for the Handbell Musicians of America (AGEHR).  For the last three years, Steven has sponsored the Tulsa metro area site of the Area 9 fall clinic, Rookie Ringers.  Steven and his wife Carol live in Owasso, OK, near their two sons, Brian and Christopher, and their grandson Eli Lee.

EDUCATION (education.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Barbie Senkow (photo/bio coming soon)

PUBLICITY (publications.area9@handbellmusicians.org) 

Wilson Van Tine is an Audit Consultant for ConocoPhillips where he travels the world auditing ConocoPhillips’ operations. Wilson is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor. He holds both a bachelors and a masters in Accounting. Wilson also serves as the Treasurer for the Greater Houston Handbell Association. Wilson is a former member of the Houston Bronze Ensemble. He currently resides in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and is a member of the First United Methodist Church there. He rings in the adult handbell choir, sings in the choir, rings with a small ensemble, and solo rings at the church. Wilson’s hobbies are traveling, going to movies, attending musicals, and working out.

WEST TEXAS REP (texrep1.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Adam Samuels (photo/bio coming soon)

EAST TEXAS REP (texrep2.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Jayne Brown (photo/bio coming soon)

OKLAHOMA REP (okrep.area9@handbellmusicians.org)

Paula Barnes (photo/bio coming soon)