About Us

AACTMAD is the the Ann Arbor Community of Traditional Music and Dance, a nonprofit 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.

Become a member now.

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 October 27, 2011:

Hal Breidenbach (President 2010–12)
elected 2010–13

Linda Hanson
elected 2011–14

Will Jaynes
elected 2011–14

Steve Johgart
appointed 2011–12

Cyndy Keesler
elected 2010–11, appointed 2011–12

Robert Messer (Vice President 2010–12)
elected 2009–11, elected 2011–14

Gretchen Preston
elected 2011–13

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

Marlin Whitaker
elected 2010–13

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 April 29, 2011:

Joan Hellmann, elected 2010–13
Will Jaynes, appointed 2011
Cyndy Keesler, appointed 2011
Arlene Kindel, elected 2011–14
Pam Kittel, elected 2009–12

Affiliations

AACTMAD is a Group Affiliate of the Country Dance and Song Society and a founding member of The North American Folk Alliance .

We welcome your suggestions and involvement:

 

Learn more from our Committee Reports:

       April 2009
       April 2008
       April 2007

Documents (PDFs):
   About Us brochure

   Annual Meeting 2011
   Ballot 2011

   2007 Goals
   2007 Objectives
   Facilities FAQ

   Membership form

   Volunteer form

   990 Return (2008)
   990 Return (2007)
   990 Return (2006)