JOSHUA SOMMERVILLE – Artistic Director
A native of Gaithersburg, MD, Joshua Sommerville is a singer, pianist, music director, and composer who graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Music. Throughout his career, he has had the privilege of working with many esteemed artists such as the late Dr. Walter Turnbull (Director of the Harlem Boys Choir), Dr. Ysaye Barnwell (of Grammy Award-Winning Vocal Group: Sweet Honey in the Rock), Stanley Thurston, Bill Colosimo, Dr. Karen Kennedy, Dr. Joyce Garrett, Patrick Lundy, Richard Odom, Dr. Stephen Holmes, Dr. Marco Merrick, Twinkie Clark (Multi-Grammy Award Winner), Melba Moore (Multi Grammy Award-Winning Award Winner), and many more. He founded three semi-professional groups: His W.I.L. Community Choir, Unique Sounds of Love, and To Be Continued Youth Choir. He also created the acclaimed workshop, How Much Do You Love It?, that has traveled to Bermuda, Italy, Guatemala, Germany, and Africa. He also tours as music director for the world-renowned choreographer Rennie Harris. In 2020, he was hired by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC to be their assistant conductor as well as conductor of their vocal ensemble, Seasons of Love. At the same time, he was also hired as assistant conductor of The Arlington Children’s Chorus of Arlington, VA. In 2022, he moved to Portland, Oregon to be the Director of Performing Arts for BRAVO Youth Orchestras. He also serves as Lead Pianist and Worship Coordinator at West Linn Lutheran Church. Joshua was hired as the PBC’s artistic director in February 2023.
SCOTT STAUFFER – President. Scott was born and raised in Portland, graduating from Roosevelt High School. He grew up singing at church, acting in local children’s theater productions, and playing several instruments at school – chiefly the clarinet.
At Roosevelt, he was drum major of the marching band his senior year. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Pacific Lutheran University and a masters in public policy from Oregon State University. Scott has worked in higher education administration and local government.
He has served as city recorder of the suburban Portland city of Milwaukie since 2016. As recorder, he is the clerk of the City Council, the city elections officer, and records manager. Scott is an avid northwest sports fan and lives in Milwaukie with his wife Sara and sons, Henry and Oliver – both PBC members. The Stauffers have long believed music to be critical parts of everyday life and are very happy to be involved with PBC!
VALDINE MISHKIN – Vice President. Canadian Cellist Valdine Ritchie Mishkin performs with Third Angle New Music, is a founding member of Duo Apaixionado with Peruvian guitarist Alfredo Muro and cello quartet Cellotropes, and moonlights as an extra cellist with the Oregon Symphony. A champion of contemporary music, she has premiered or commissioned works by composers such as John Luther Adams, Kenji Bunch, Nancy Ives, and Karim Al-Zand, can be heard on Third Angle Records and Albany Records, and is a frequent guest on All-Classical FM Portland. Beginning studies at age 3 and making her solo debut at age 10 with the Winnipeg Symphony, she has since performed concerti with the Sunnyside Symphony, Chehalem Symphony, Mercury Ensemble and McGill Symphony.
Equally dedicated to pedagogy, Valdine teaches at Reed College and heads a bustling private studio where her students are finalists in local and national competitions and hold ensemble leadership positions. She serves as an adjudicator, coach, clinician, conference presenter, author, and serves on the boards of Third Angle and the Portland Boychoir. She holds Doctoral and Master degrees from Rice University under Lynn Harrell and Norman Fischer, and a Bachelor degree from McGill University under Antonio Lysy.
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RIK SHIIKI – Treasurer. Rik is a freelance creative/production artist from Portland, Oregon. Prior to freelancing, Rik was president/creative director at Shiiki&Sichler for over twenty years. He was also an Advertising Representative for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Washington.
Rik has been active with the American Advertising Federation (AAF) on the local, district, regional and national level for many years. He has served as chair of the Council of Governors and Western Region, as well as President and board member of the local organizations.
In June of 2012, AAF honored him with the prestigious Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award. The award recognizes distinguished individuals for their volunteer service to advertising through volunteer work with the AAF.
Rik sang in ensembles and choir in high school and played the lead role of Marryin’ Sam in Li’l Abner. He then took a hiatus from singing until a few years ago when he joined the Christmas Community Choir of the First Baptist Church in Gresham and then the Tilikum Choir Community until COVID silenced in-person choirs.
His passions include bowling, singing, plants and cooking. Rik enjoys reality tv, listening to follow-up podcasts and has recently gotten addicted to Netfix and its annoying “auto-play-the-next-episode” feature.
MELINDA SNODGRASS – Secretary. Melinda grew up in the Portland, OR area (Clackamas and Happy Valley). Growing up, she sang with several choirs through church and school and also with the Portland Symphonic Girlchoir. She continued these passions in college at Seattle Pacific University, where she got her bachelors of science in Psychology. She sang in the choir at SPU and performed in the college’s traveling worship band, playing and singing at churches and schools in the PNW.
A couple years after college, life brought her and her husband, Cole, back to the Portland area and they now reside in Happy Valley with their 3 sons. After being a stay at home Mom for several years, she has started working in the school district where her kids attend. She has served on her kids’ school PTA board as President, Treasurer and Membership chairs. She has also been a Grotto caroler since 2016. Melinda’s middle son, Carver, has an astounding ear for music and joined the Portland Boychoir since 2019. He has loved being a part of this amazing community and is very excited for where it will take him. Melinda has experienced first-hand the amazing and unique opportunities that being in a choir like this can provide, and is very passionate about providing those opportunities for Carver and fellow choir mates.
Her hobbies include: singing (harmonizing to be exact😁), piano, gardening, nature, camping, traveling, kayaking, and spending time with her family and 2 labradoodles
KELLENE GOFF – Director
SUE-DEL McCULLOCH – Director
Board of Directors email: board@portlandboychoir.org
ANDREA FARLEY – Immediate Past President
JAMES M WHITE – President Emeritus
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