Celebrity Conductor Challenge
Who will hold the baton?
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra Guild of Springfield l is holding a Celebrity Conductor Challenge this fall. SIX outstanding celebrity community members from Springfield are competing to conduct the Illinois Symphony Orchestra perform Andreson's Sleigh Ride at our Holiday Pops in the Heartland concert on December 13th.
Help your favorite candidate WIN! Cast your donation today. Challenge closes on December 4th and then join us on December 13th at the UIS Performing Arts Center to see who takes the podium. All funds raised will support the education programs of the ISO.
Celebrity Candidates:
Michelle Eccles Jennifer Gill James Greenwald
Kathryn Harris Erin R. Hascup Sandra W. Yeh
Meet the Celebrity Conductor Candidates
Michelle Eccles, Local host of Morning Edition on NPR Illinois, Public Relations Manager at Horace Mann
Michelle Eccles is the local host of Morning Edition on NPR Illinois and Public Relations Manager at Horace Mann. Michelle’s husband, Joey McLaughlin, is morning host on WTAX-AM/FM and they are proud parents to three adult children, Sarah, Jack and Natalie. While Michelle largely enjoys music from the audience or backstage, it has always had a powerful presence in her life. “The sounds of a symphony really can influence your mood and emotions.” It is important to support music in our communities.
DONATE to support Michelle Eccles
Jennifer Gill, Superintendent for District 186
Jennifer Gill is the Superintendent of Springfield Public School District 186, which serves over 13,000 students for the last 11 years. Previously, she served as the Director of Teaching and Learning at McLean County Unit 5 School District in Bloomington / Normal, Illinois. She is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education. She earned a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Administration and a Certificate in Advanced Study in Educational Leadership with a Superintendent's Endorsement and Chief School Business Officer Endorsement from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Jennifer is a life long resident of Springfield and graduate of Springfield Public Schools. She began her teaching career in the Jacksonville Public Schools as a fifth grade teacher. She then served in the Springfield Public Schools as a teacher, district office administrator, and building principal at both Vachel Lindsay Elementary and McClernand Elementary. During her tenure, McClernand earned an Improving School Award from the Illinois State Board of Education for significant student achievement gains in a high poverty school setting. One of her biggest pride points is the passage of the facilities tax for schools. It has allowed for extensive renovations and construction to happen over the last seven years.
Jennifer also sits on the boards of directors of organizations the Memorial Health System Board of Directors, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance that advises economic development in the Springfield area, the YMCA Board of Trustees, and is past chair of Greater Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce as well as a past board member and campaign chair for the United Way. Most importantly she is married and has two grown children all of whom graduated from the Springfield Schools. Her mother, Judith Stack, was a long time violinist for the Illinois Symphony orchestra and an orchestra teacher for the Springfield Public Schools.
DONATE to support Jennifer Gill
James Greenwald, DDS, Dentist, Guild Member, Choral Society member and more
My father, Fred Greenwald, taught music at Springfield College for 30 years, instilling in me and my six siblings a great love of music. Attending school at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, all of us took piano lessons and played in band. My sisters and I also sang in the choir. Needless to say, music has been a big part of my life. Besides being a former member of the Illinois Symphony Chorus and The Capital Chamber Singers, I am currently a member of the Springfield Choral Society and am an active substitute church organist here in Springfield. As both a concert goer and a chorus member, the ISO’s Holiday Pops concert has always been one of my favorite events. For me it would be an honor and privilege to be able to direct the Illinois Symphony Orchestra as your Celebrity Conductor. Thank you for your support of the ISO.
DONATE to support James Greenwald
Kathryn Harris, Retired Director of Library Services of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, Illinois Library Luminary Inductee, and 2020 State Journal-Register First Citizen Award
Kathryn Harris is a prominent historian and librarian based in Springfield, Illinois. She is widely recognized for her leadership in the preservation of African American history and her commitment to education. Harris served as the Director of Library Services at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, where she became the first African American to hold that position.
Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for social justice, frequently giving lectures and presentations on topics such as slavery, the Underground Railroad, and Abraham Lincoln’s legacy.
Harris is also actively involved in local community organizations and educational initiatives. She has been honored with numerous awards for her contributions to historical preservation and cultural advocacy in Illinois. Her work has had a lasting impact on how history is studied and shared within the Springfield area and beyond.
DONATE to support Kathryn Harris
Erin R. Hascup, PhD, Director of Dale & Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research & Treatment at SIU School of Medicine
Hello, my name is Dr. Erin Hascup and I am excited to be a part of this year’s Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s Celebrity Conductor Challenge. As a long-time Springfield resident and Director of the Smith Alzheimer’s Center at SIU School of Medicine, I am well aware of the exceptional talent that exists here in our communities. Although I am generally lacking in all aspects of musical talent, I have always found joy in watching and listening to others play, and I am particularly impressed by the abilities of the ISO’s youth orchestra. By supporting me in the Celebrity Conductor Challenge, together we can help to ensure the youth in our community continue to have access to top-notch instrumental education and training, orchestra scholarship programs, Concerts for Kids, and enhance our collective cultural experience in the greater Springfield area.
DONATE to support Erin R. Hascup
Dr. Sandra W. Yeh, Medical Director & Founder of Prairie Eye Center
Dr Sandra Yeh is the founder and CMO of Prairie Eye Center, a 16 doctor practice with offices in Springfield, Jacksonville, Decatur, and Hillsboro.
She has been playing the piano since age 5 and has a life long love of classical music, both orchestral and opera. Conducting an orchestra would be a dream come true!