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| Gail Ritchey |
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Gail Ritchey has been involved with handbells since the 1970s and has been the organizer and chair of the Nittany Valley festival since its inception in 1993. She began the handbell program at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church (State College, PA) in 1978 when the church received a 3-octave set of bells. Gail currently directs a graded program consisting of two five-plus octave choirs – St. Dunstan for beginning and intermediate ringers and the Westminster Handbell Ensemble for advanced ringers. Both groups play monthly in worship and Westminster has a very active schedule of performing for weddings, concerts, community events, and other outside obligations. In addition to her work with OLV and the Nittany Valley Handbell Festival, Gail is also active within the larger handbell community – she regularly attends the AGEHR Directors’ Seminars, Handbell Exploration in Hershey, and other events. When Gail isn't ringing or directing, she keeps busy as an organist for OLV, an active member of the State College chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and chorus manager (and member) of the State College Choral Society and Arietta Women's Chorale. |
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| Anna Carol Buffington |
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Anna Carol Buffington is the director of The Bells of Grace program of Grace Lutheran Church, State College and has been on the Festival committee since 1999. She began ringing in the mid-1980s as a sub in the choir at Grace when her daughters were ringing, and she’s been involved ever since! Anna Carol currently directs one intergenerational handbell choir, a small ensemble, and a beginning choir for middle- and high school students. Additionally, she gets her “ringing fix” as a regular sub in OLV’s Westminster Handbell Ensemble. She also serves on the AGEHR Area II board and is a frequent participant in Area ringing events, Handbell Exploration in Hershey, and Directors’ Seminars. Anna Carol also serves as the director of Meals on Wheels of State College and is active within the local and national Dietetics Associations as well.
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| H. Ryan Ditmer |
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H. Ryan Ditmer has been on the Festival Committee since 1999. He is a ringer in the OLV's Westminster Handbell Ensemble as well as serving as a substitute for several handbell choirs in the State College area. Currently on sabbatical, Ryan is the organist and Chancel Choir accompanist at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Boalsburg, PA and rings in the “St. John’s Ringers” handbell choir. Ryan began ringing in 1996 and has regularly attended the Handbell Exploration in Hershey and other ringing events. During his sabbatical year from St. John’s, Ryan is serving as a substitute organist and ringer throughout the State College area and is continuing to be an active member of the State College Choral Society (for which he served on the SCCS Board of Directors as Chairman for five years), the State College Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and as a member of the AGEHR. Ryan works as a Project Manager for Glass Mender Mirror & Plate Division, Inc., a glass and glazing subcontracting company in Altoona, PA. |
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| Lynnette Hoelter |
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Lynette Hoelter has also been on the Festival committee since 1999, although her affiliation is now “long distance.” She began ringing in 1997 in the program at Grace Lutheran Church (State College, PA) and quickly got hooked and became an active member of that program as well as a sub, and later member, of OLV’s Westminster Handbell Ensemble. Now in Ann Arbor, MI, Lynette is a member of the Detroit Handbell Ensemble and a regular sub for several church choirs in the area – her favorite place to sub is back in State College though! She also spends time volunteering for Handbell Services, Inc. in Dearborn, MI and travels to many bell events as an HSI exhibitor. Lynette works as a sociologist at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. |
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