About Us

The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance (AACTMAD) is a nonprofit foundation based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's a participatory membership organization that enriches people's lives and sense of community through traditional music, dance, song, and related arts.

We organize and sponsor over 200 traditional music and dance events each year that welcome the public. Our members actively learn and preserve many different types of traditional music and dance. With almost 250 members, mostly in SE Michigan, we also support the traditional music and dance community as a whole, throughout Michigan. We hope you will consider becoming a member. Click here for a list of membership benefits and an enrollment form (1 page PDF).

Strategic Goal Areas

Building on the long-term plan adopted in 2001 and revised in 2007, the organization has identified five measurable goal areas:

Outreach - providing traditional music and dance opportunities for the larger community
Programming - developing high-quality events
Teaching - encouraging the development of dancers, musicians, and dance leaders
Marketing and communications - finding out what people want and telling our story
Operations - providing stable financial and operational management

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors sets the long-term direction for the organization and oversees its activities focusing on the "what and why" of realizing the mission, including what human needs are to be met, for whom, and at what cost. One-third of the board members are elected each April for three-year terms. Board members as of July 7, 2010:

Nelson Bacigalupo (Nominating Committee)
elected 2010–12

Hal Breidenbach (President, Facilities Committee)
elected 2010–13

Mark Hillegonds (Past President 2008–10)
appointed 2005–07, elected 2007–09, elected 2009–13

Cyndy Keesler
elected 2010–11

Robert Messer (Vice President, Membership)
elected 2009–11

Brooke Ratliff (Treasurer 2009–11)
elected 2009–12

Carolyn Texley (Secretary 2009–11)
elected 2009–12

Marlin Whitaker
Elected 2010–13

Marty Wilson (Nominating Committee)
Elected 2010–11

Monthly Board Meetings are open to all members.

Current Board Activities

The facilities committee has been chartered by the board to work toward securing a facility suited to traditional music and dance. See Concourse Hall for more information.
The board utilizes a formal annual budgeting process that addresses quality improvement and measures of success.
The board has compiled ideas and objectives (12 page PDF) and developed measurable goals for all of the goal areas above.
The board is developing an expanded set of fundraising programs.

Committees

AACTMAD fulfills its mission through the efforts of its committees. They focus on the means (the "how") of accomplishing the goals set by the board. Committees organize activities, provide services and resources, and make recommendations to the board. To learn more about the committees, see AACTMAD Activities, AACTMAD Services, and our most recent Annual Reports.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and soliciting candidates for the Board of Directors and for the Nominating Committee. Nominating committee members as of July 7, 2010:

Nelson Bacigalupo, appointed 2010–11
Joan Hellman, elected 2010–13
Debbie Jackson, elected 2008–11
Pam Kittel, elected 2009–12
Marty Wilson, appointed 2010–11