Staff
Heidi Edinger Smith, Executive Director
Heidi Edinger Smith has 30 years of experience in sales/marketing and operations in the meetings and hospitality industry. She has opened several hotel properties, convention centers, restaurant concepts, and most recently, the Longstory Wine Bar & Restaurant in Three Oaks, MI.
In addition to her experience in the corporate world, Smith has had decades of experience in leadership roles in the non-profit and association sectors. Most recently, she has taken on marketing/event planning/fundraising responsibilities for Neighbor by Neighbor helping to increase fundraising goals by more than 50% yearly.
As a youth, Heidi was involved in music at an early age, playing flute in marching band and orchestra and competing in statewide competitions in Illinois, winning several awards. Music has been an integral part of her childhood, and she grew up in a family that played a variety of instruments and made music a cornerstone of her upbringing. In college, Heidi sang with a band and continues to pursue musical interests, currently learning to play the keyboard and ukulele.
It turns out that Heidi’s family settled in Three Oaks from Germany back in the 1800s. She is a native of “The Region” in Northwest Indiana, having grown up spending time at the Dunes and Lake Michigan here in SW Michigan. In her spare time, Heidi loves being outdoors and enjoys golf, tennis, biking, and hiking. She is an avid traveler, an accomplished home chef, and a dog mom to her rescue dogs.
Denise Vanden Bussche, School Director
My mother was an accomplished pianist and fostered a love of everything music in me from a very young age. As a child I took piano and flute lessons, and I played in band and orchestra throughout high school. During that time, I traveled to Europe with the Blue Lake International Orchestra and to Mexico and the Bahamas with Musical Youth International, People-to-People Program. I attended Wayne State University and majored in Music Education and participated in the Symphonic and Marching Band. I've been teaching piano and/or flute for nearly 30 years and consider it a blessing to have a job that allows me to share my biggest passion on a daily basis. I moved to New Buffalo in 2018 to be with the love of my life after living in the Metro Detroit area from the day I was born. I began teaching at the School of American Music (SAM) in September of that year. I honestly can't say enough good things about SAM! The school's mission to provide quality and affordable music programs and instruction are just one of the reasons that make SAM such a great place to teach. As School Director, I hope to help SAM continue to grow each and every day. When I'm not at SAM, I love to spend as much time as I can with my 8 children, their significant others, and my 6 grandchildren!
Board of Directors
D. Garth Taylor, Founder
Garth Taylor, founder—I retired from a 20 plus year career as the founder/chief executive officer of a non-profit consulting firm in Chicago after receiving a PhD from the University of Chicago and teaching there for several years. I served seven years on the Jefferson Awards Committee, a program to recognize excellence in live theater in Chicago. Right out of college I worked one year as the musical director of a theater company in Minneapolis. I founded the School of American Music in 2012 along with two other board members and a volunteer Executive Director because I truly believe in the cognitive benefits of music and wanted to make an impact on our communities. Besides playing and performing guitar, I'm interested in composing music and writing a curriculum for teaching guitar. I reside in Harbert with my wife Sue; our son lives in California. I can often be found in my "office" Infusco coffee in Sawyer.
Tom Flint, President
I joined the board of the School of American Music in 2020. I had retired from a 30+ year career in sales and management and settled full-time into my weekend home in Three Oaks. Community service has always been important to me and as I was growing up, I was always involved in music. I believe that there has to be a safe space for creative kids to land and The School of American Music provides an open and accepting place where everyone feels welcome. I’m proud to be a part of the organization.
Bill Korbel, Treasurer
Born and raised in Harbor Country, I graduated from Western Michigan University in 1992 and worked as an accountant/consultant for Price Waterhouse until 1999. I began working at Lost Dunes Golf Club in Bridgman the day it opened in April 1999 and am currently the club’s General Manager. I am an active member of the Club Management Association of America and a registered Certified Public Accountant. Serving the community as Treasurer includes School of American Music (SAM) since 2013 and two other local not-for-profit organizations, Islay’s’ Barrel and the Lost Dunes Memorial Scholarship Fund. Previously, I served as Treasurer for the Brookview Montessori School in Benton Harbor from 2006 to 2013. I enjoy giving back to the community that has given me so much my entire life. I reside in Sawyer and have been married to Laura for 30+ years. We have two children, Hannah, (former student of SAM) and Wil, both in their 20s.
Arthur Anderson, Secretary
I joined the School of American Music board in 2019 and took on duties of secretary. I started at the School as a piano student in 2017. I have studied piano on and off since childhood and began again after my retirement from federal government and my move to Harbert, Michigan. I have found playing a musical instrument to be a rewarding healthy pastime and want to support the School's education mission. In addition to practicing the piano, I like to garden and go hiking.
John Balich
I joined the School of American Music board in 2014, and I am the SAM Caretaker. I’m proud to have installed the bamboo floor in the Arts & Education Center. I live in Three Oaks with my wife and two dogs. We raised 4 children, and have 2 grandchildren. I keep busy with my family. I am a retired property manager. I love all kinds of music, from gospel to rock and roll. I’m happy to help the school, especially for the children.
Devon Bergman
I am a recent, full-time, transplant to Three Oaks after 36 years of Chicago city life. I am a product of public-school music education and started on violin at age 7. I was a member of Colorado Children’s Chorale for 5 years and in numerous orchestras throughout my primary education. I studied voice in college, primarily classical and jazz. I still sing and play guitar. Making music has been a very important part of my life and still is today. I am passionate about getting music instruction to kids and anyone who wants it. I worked my way through school as a carpenter and eventually owned a renovation company. I’m currently the Midwest Regional Construction Manager for a national multi-family real estate company.
Allie Carter
I joined the board of the School of American Music in 2024. I am on the scholarship committee and helping to plan events. I love music and I play piano. I am retired from airline customer service. After retirement, I volunteered with hospice and trained my dogs to be therapy dogs for home and hospital visits. Another activity was painting barn quilts, then donating the proceeds from customers to Harbor Country Emergency Food Pantry in Three Oaks. I also served as a docent for the New Buffalo Railroad Museum for several years. I'm looking forward to helping with SAM's future goals.
Sharon Eggleston
“Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel.” — Yo-Yo Ma.
As a parent of a former School of American Music (SAM) voice student, I have seen firsthand how SAM works to enrich the lives of those in our community by providing access to the arts, and I am honored to be joining the Board. I have a wide-ranging health care and business background, including an Associate Degree of Applied Science, a Bachelor’s in Health Care Administration, and a Master’s in Business Administration. I also maintain a valid Indiana Physical Therapist Assistant license and have experience as an Adjunct Professor from teaching business courses at a local college. Although my background is primarily on the business and administration side of things, I also have musical experience as a flute and piccolo player and choir member. In my spare time I enjoy gardening and being outdoors.
Katha Kissman
Katha Kissman is an independent consultant based in the greater Chicago, IL area, and served as a Senior Governance Consultant for BoardSource. Katha has more than 30 years of experience managing and consulting with nonprofits. Katha has provided individualized board consultation and training and has conducted workshops on governance issues to a variety of organizations. In addition to providing governance consulting through BoardSource, Katha has also served as an interim leader, providing a short- or long-term leadership bridge and nonprofit organizational development consulting. Before semi-retirement, Katha served as the President & CEO of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation and Leadership America’s leader of leaders—first as executive director in 1996 and 1997 and then as president and CEO in 2000 and 2001. She lived in the United Arab Emirates in 1998 and 1999, where she was the founding director of the American University of Sharjah’s Continuing Education Center. Katha has also lived in Kuwait, where she was on the founding leadership team to establish the American University of Kuwait in 2004. Her other previous leadership positions include serving at Volunteers of America, Round House Theatre, Living Stage at Arena Stage, and Nadra K Real Estate. Katha is currently Secretary/Treasurer for the New Buffalo Railroad Museum. In 2006, Katha authored Taming the Troublesome Board Member and, in 2009, Trouble at the Top: The Nonprofit Board’s Guide to an Imperfect CEO (BoardSource). In 2015, she co-authored (with Beth Gazley, PhD) Transformational Governance: How Association Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change (ASAE Foundation/Jossey-Bass). Katha received a B.S. degree in community affairs from Grand Valley State University.
Pat Putnam
I joined the School of American Music (SAM) board in April 2019. I joined the board because I believe music education is very important and I believe in SAM's mission. Music has always been very important to me, and I took both piano lessons and voice lessons for many years in my youth. My responsibilities on the board include being the Producer for the Harbor Country Singers community choir and for the River Valley Senior Center senior choir, both sponsored by SAM, helping plan and organize SAM events as part of the Programming committee, and helping and taking photos at SAM events. I am a retired software engineer. I have a B.S. in Business from Indiana University and a M.S. in Computer Science from DePaul University. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, singing, and traveling.
Diane Ruzevich
I started guitar lessons when I was 8 in 1958. Music helped me through the 60’s and 70’s! I was lucky enough to to have a family where music was important and am thrilled to be a part of a school that is making music as available to anyone interested! I have always worked in the nonprofit field spending my last 29 years as a Reference librarian in a suburb of Chicago. I finished my college education after going back to school at 50 and continue my music education with Donna Mitchell at our school.
Dr. Lowell Weiner
Born and raised in Chicago, I attended undergraduate and medical school at the University of Michigan. Did my postgraduate training in Los Angeles and Ann Arbor, and served 2 years in the Air Force near Marquette, Michigan. Then we moved several times for job assignments and finally ended up in Ann Arbor, where, in addition to my consulting practice, I had a teaching appointment in the School of Public Health and Medical school. I retired in 2013. Now my wife, Kristina, our cat Atticus, and I are year-round residents of New Buffalo. We moved from our Ann Arbor home of 25 years to be near our children and grandchildren. I fill my non-family time with volunteer work, golf, pickleball, and my newest effort- learning the baritone ukulele.