Magnolia Chorale Board of Directors — 2026 – 2027
Cindy Johnson (Interim President) I am an Oregon native, blessed to grow up with an opera singer father and music loving family who encouraged me in choir, musicals, drama, and art. I have a BS in Fine Arts and an MA in Psychology and retired November 2020 after 30 + years as a behavioral health therapist and case manager with a variety of populations. I have lived in Magnolia with my artist husband and a wonderful assortment of dogs and cats since 1985. I joined the Magnolia Chorale in 2019.
Allison Hill (Vice President and Secretary) got her musical start singing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus and playing cello in her elementary school orchestra. As a teen, she joined her high school’s a cappella group and performed in all of the year-end musicals. She took a break from organized singing for a while after high school, but was often still called upon to sing duets with her cousin at family functions. When Allison moved to Seattle in 2021, that same cousin suggested they join a choir together, and the rest is history. She is delighted to once again have a place to make music on a regular basis, and grateful to do so with such a talented and welcoming community.
Carla Fraga (Treasurer) is an arts and design educator and author who loves to bring a burst of song to her classes. She holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and currently teaches at Luminous Works in Seattle. She’s grateful to have found in Magnolia Chorale a group of amicable, merry folks with whom to share the transporting joy of singing.
Brian Chan (Director), (he/they), is a Youth Development Specialist at a non-profit organization in Seattle, Washington. In this role, he provides safe spaces to queer and trans youth of color wherein they explore their identities, develop autonomy, learn about healthy relationships, and receive social support and services. He also provides individual socioemotional support to students in need. Previously, he was a cultural studies academic, with publications on gaming in marginalized communities, nostalgic music for intersectional identities, and political influence on social media. During his free time, he enjoys playing video games, listening to music, and singing loudly at home until he receives a noise complaint from his neighbors.
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Kelsey Cavanaugh (Director) grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah where she first discovered her love of music through school choirs and studying music theory. Singing has been a lifelong passion and she has always drawn a sense of connection and joy that comes from making music together. Now living in Seattle and working as an Audit Manager in public accounting, Kelsey finds balance between her professional and her artistic pursuits. Joining Magnolia Chorale in 2023 has been a meaningful way to reconnect with her musical roots and build community through song. She is honored to serve on the Board and support the Chorale’s mission.
Ian McCowan (Director) grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended college and grad school in Minnesota's climatically perilous Twin Cities, before fleeing to the more temperate Seattle area in 2012. He sells his labor as a software developer. In his real life, he's a long-time music lover and practitioner who has recorded two full-length solo albums (as Walrus Promenade) but never sang in a choir until 2025. Magnolia Chorale turned out to be just what his previously socially-impoverished life needed, and after one year of singing in rooms with other people, he was all in. He also enjoys reading, cooking, cycling, the occasional video game, and the delightful intersection of the high- and low-brow.
Amanda Pardee (Director) is a Seattle transplant who joined the Chorale in Spring 2024. She’s always loved music and singing along with the radio. As a member of the board, she’s looking forward to helping the Magnolia Chorale community grow and flourish.
Max Timkovich (Director) (Bio to come)
Cooper English (Director) (Bio to come)
Kate Criss (Past President) grew up on the North Fork of Long Island, where she played piano and flute and performed in her tiny high school’s annual musicals. She has lovely memories of singing Christmas Eve hymns with friends and neighbors at the Orient Congregational Church and was delighted to rediscover that joyful feeling with the Magnolia Chorale. Kate worked in libraries around the country before becoming a full-time parent, and has lived in Magnolia with her husband and two sons since 2011. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Chorale as a member of the board.
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