Julia Rogers: IMDA President since 2015, Board Member since 2015 and long-time volunteer with IMDA, Irish Fair and has volunteered in Northern Ireland. She believes in the importance of preserving Irish heritage and culture, through music, dance, literature, and language. She has a passion for teaching others that there is more to Irish culture than green beer and leprechauns. She is also the proud mother of a former Best Legs in a Kilt winner. As an adult dancer, and dance mom, with Rince Na Chroi, she has built relationships throughout the community and would not be the person she is today without those friendships.
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Jan Casey: IMDA Vice President since 2013, IMDA Secretary 2007 to 2013, Board Member since 2005. Jan serves on the Entertainment Committee for our Landmark events, and co-chaired the planning for "IMDA Honors Ann Heymann" (2009) and "IMDA Honors Paddy O'Brien" (2010). Jan helped to define the IMDA Educational Grant Program, begining in 2006, and coordinates the application process. Jan also manages IMDA's Decade of Dance Award program. Jan contributes regularly to the IMDA newsletter and IMDA's Facebook page. Jan is a long-time volunteer with Irish Fair, managing the Trisceil Tea Room at the Fair and serving on the Cultural Committee and also serves on the Board for the Center for Irish Music and is a regular volunteer bartender for functions at the Celtic Junction Arts Center. Jan and her husband Mike are both retired and live in St. Paul. You'll often find them at an Irish music concert, ceili or play. Jan has one grown son, Brian.
IMDA Vice President: Jan Casey
Board Member: Aja McCullough Beers
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Aja McCullough Beers: IMDA Board Member since 2018. Aja is a St. Paul writer, musician and nonprofit specialist. A long-time student and volunteer at the Center for Irish Music, she recently became the school's part-time Events and Communications Coordinator. Outside of the CIM, she writes speculative fiction, drawing inspiration from the mythology and folklore of Ireland and beyond. She also enjoys traditional singing, playing tin whistle (and attempting to master myriad other instruments), gardening, turning wool into yarn, and petting fuzzy animals.
Board Member: John Concannon
John Concannon: IMDA Board Memberwas born in Ireland, and moved to the Boston area with his family as a teenager. Having lived in the Twin Cities for many years, John is a marathon runner and a long time IMDA member. John has volunteered as Community Groups Coordinator for Irish Fair for several years and is a member of the company of the Celtic Collaborative, our newest Irish theatre company.
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Maureen Engelhardt: IMDA Treasurersince 2019, Board Membersince 2017. Maureen has been an active member of the local Irish-American community for nearly 20 years. She is the program administrator for the Irish language group Gaeltacht Minnesota, a set dancer and teacher with Lóma Mór, and member of the singing group Giggin' Síles. She worked on the planning team for "IMDA Honors Will Kenny" (2017). She grew up in southeast Wisconsin soaking up Hiberno-English phrases from her grandparents (Corcaigh abu!) that only made sense many years later. Maureen has a massive collection of volunteer t-shirts from the IMDA, Irish Fair, and Milwaukee's Irish Fest. Other volunteer gigs include committee and board positions with Macalester College, Minneapolis South High, Mayflower Church, and the Minnesota Conference UCC. Maureen lives in Minneapolis with her husband David.
Board Member: Maureen Engelhardt
Board Member: Gemma Forbush
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Gemma Forbush: IMDA Board Member since 2019. Gemma is a St. Paul native with deep Irish roots on both sides of her family. Gemma found her love of the stage when she first started Irish dancing at the wee age of four with the Saint Paul Irish Dancers, and retired after 12 years of dancing as a member of Rince na Chroi. She now manages the Dance Stage at the Irish Fair of Minnesota each summer on Harriet Island. Outside of her work in the Irish arts, Gemma is a digital marketing specialist, entrepreneur, and event producer, specializing in programming and stage management for non profit organizations and associations. Her work in digital strategy focuses on website, email, social media, events and messaging strategy. When Gemma isn’t at the office or planning an event, she’s likely to be found listening to music or tending to the family garden with her husband and two dogs.
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Amber Ladany: IMDA Board Member since 2017. Amber grew up in Northern Minnesota and has been in love with Ireland since she and her mother began researching their ancestry when she was in the 5th grade. After visiting Ireland several times, Amber decided to get involved in the local Irish community and began volunteering with the MN Irish Fair. Most recently Amber has been working with the Celtic Collaborative on publishing local authors and performing theatrical tributes to Irish heritage. She has been a board member with the Celtic Collaborative since 2016.
Since joining the IMDA board in January 2017 Amber has taken on the role of volunteer coordinator for the St. Patrick's Day and Irish Day of Dance events at the Landmark Center.
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Kathie Luby: IMDA Board Memberbegan her involvement with the Twin Cities Irish community in the mid-eighties by joining the Irish language class directed by Dennis Clarke that evolved to become Gaeltacht Minnesota. She continues to study Irish Gaelic with Gaeltacht Minnesota. She played several roles with Na Fianna Irish Theater for the fifteen years of its production of Irish plays. These roles included those of actor, stage manager, treasurer, secretary and chairman of the board of directors. Currently, Kathie sings in Irish and English with her five friends in the Giggin' Síles, performing at various Irish events in the Twin Cities throughout any given year. She is very happy to be working with the IMDA board of directors to serve the active and vibrant Minnesota Irish community that includes musicians, dancers, and all those who appreciate Irish culture.
Board Member: Kathie Luby
The Irish Music and Dance Association is a 501(c)(3) organization.
