Board

Harold is the Founder and CEO of OPAD Consulting, a company dedicated to helping organizations assure their teams, boards, executives and culture are aligned to their Missions and Visions and are able to improve their success in meeting and exceeding goals. Prior to founding OPAD, Harold held senior executive positions in Human Resources at Johnson & Johnson, Lam Research, and Levi Strauss. He was a Professor of Organization Psychology in the USF evening Masters program for 14 years. He holds degrees in Business Administration, Finance and Industrial Psychology.

A dedicated fan of the arts, Harold has served on numerous non-profit and foundation boards throughout the Portland Metro area. He joined the ONN Board in June 2024.

Karen Deveney has a passion for classical music. She has served on three nonprofit boards, two as President: Cognizart by MetroArtsInc. and Chamber Music Northwest. A life-long cat lover, she also serves on the board of the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, an organization that spays and neuters feral cats to improve their health, diminish their overpopulation, and save the lives of wild birds. She was a general surgeon and surgical educator for over 40 years, including 20 years as the Program Director of the surgical residency training program at Oregon Health and Science University. During that time she increased the program’s size and national reputation for excellence and developed successful rural training programs in Grants Pass and Coos Bay. During her surgical career she served as the first woman President of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association in its 91-year history and as Secretary and second Vice-President of the American College of Surgeons. Skills which she developed as a surgical educator included mentoring, problem-solving, collaborating, and leadership.

Neville Wellman is a contractual CFO and seasoned management professional with over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, finance, and operations.  He thrives as a mentor to others to share his knowledge and experience to empower all levels of the organization with a focus on mission, vision, and sustainability.  Neville is a collaborator with senior management and boards in areas of responsibility for internal controls, budgeting, annual audit and tax returns, legal and regulatory matters, and long-term planning. He has been active in stabilizing organizations and providing leadership to promote sensible growth.

When not consulting, Neville enjoys traveling the world and experiencing new cultures with his wife. At home, he is an avid gardener, chef and cat enthusiast.

Aliza Fox has been on the ONN Board since Fall 2021. Being on the lookout for a new board seat, she wanted to be discerning and find a role that aligned with her passions. Music was introduced to her at an early age, and she began playing piano at just four years old. Developing proficiency, she pursued piano performance studies at Portland State University. While Aliza eventually changed majors and shifted her career path (now a private banker), music has remained a constant in her life. Upon learning of the opportunity to join ONN, Aliza recognized it as the perfect fit. Little did she know that she would be joining such a remarkable group of individuals and becoming part of the rich history of ONN.

Jason has been active in the performing arts his whole life, and professionally for over 30 years. He has sung and played piano since he was a child, and as a theatre professional, performed in and produced many musicals. As Co-Artistic Director of a theatre company, Jason collaboratively selected the plays to be performed, was primarily responsible for all fundraising, oversaw and helped create all marketing plans, and handled all contracting for union actors and sub-contractors.

Jason recently obtained an MA in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University, which affirmed the interpersonal skills he developed in his career in theatre, while expanding those skills and creating new understanding in how to serve organizations’ planning and development needs.

Jason currently serves as President of the Board of his temple, Congregation Kol Ami. He recently moved up to this position after serving as Vice President and Treasurer. When he was treasurer, he reconceptualized the temple’s annual gala, resulting in the congregation’s most successful gala ever, exceeding fundraising goals by over $20,000. As President, he oversees strategic planning through the growth of the congregation, as well as the daily operations of the temple.

Jason lives in Tualatin, OR with his wife, Kirsten, and his two sons Ethan (19) and Leif (10). Kirsten’s job as a flight attendant allows them to travel frequently-a perk the whole family enjoys. He enjoys good food, good coffee, good wine, and good conversations with good friends.

Curt moved to Portland in 1980 upon college graduation. Having grown up in a newspaper family, Curt secured a job in publishing and spent 25 years in various positions ending as Senior VP of Marketing, TV Guide//News Corp. The position required extensive travel and time away, when his son arrived in 2000 Curt started scaling back while also funding a startup retail business. After retiring from TVG, Curt worked as the GM of the home furnishing stores until 2012. Curt raised his son and guided him through school years resulting in his college graduation. Over the years Curt has served on several boards. Curt served on the PCPA (Portland’5) board including a year as president. He remains active in the community and with social causes and the arts.

Greg is an experienced board member who comes to the board with a wealth of experience gained in a decades long career in corporate financial and operations leadership. Greg has held major executive roles in a number of corporations and most recently served as President of Mentor Graphics, one of the largest employers in Oregon.

He has served on numerous not-for-profit boards and recently was Chair of the PSU board where he was instrumental in major contributions that furthered inclusivity and the arts. Greg has been a board member on many arts organizations in Oregon.

He is married with two children and his wife, Mary Chomenko Hinckley is a nationally recognized artist. Both Greg and Mary have received many awards recognizing their contributions to not-for-profit organizations and causes they’ve supported.

John has been a member of Orchestra Nova Northwest since 2013 (when it was known as Portland Columbia Symphony). He thoroughly enjoys the opportunities to perform with the orchestra, finding it a fulfilling experience. In the Summer of 2022, John joined the ONN Board intending to help further the mission of the orchestra for both its audience and its musicians.

John’s chair is sponsored by Col. Mary J. Mayer, USAF (Ret).

The Trombone Section is sponsored by Mardy & Hank Stevens.

Dr. Roberts joined the ONN Board in 2023, bringing with him a strong commitment to sustaining both public and private support for the Orchestra. With his background as a former semi-professional musician in several regional orchestras on the West and East Coast, he deeply appreciates the important role that groups such as ONN play in the artistic life of the community.

Amy is a trained singer and retired choir director. She enjoys serving her community through her involvement on Cognizart by MetroArts Inc.’s board for over ten years as well as other fine arts/arts education boards, and board work addressing food insecurity, and weekly volunteering at her neighborhood shelter, working with the unhoused. Amy and her husband, James, frequently travel the world for his international lectures on vocal laryngology/surgery. At these conferences, they often have the privilege to enjoy the best musical experience each country has to offer. They try to always take their bikes with them on their travels. Cycling is their favorite way to explore different cultures as well as the beautiful Northwest.

Ann first learned of ONN (then PCSO) when she auditioned and won the English horn position in the orchestra. After joining the Board in 2011, Ann took some time away and is now serving her second stint. In ONN, Ann recognized the potential for bringing classical orchestral music to people in a more personal and approachable manner. Witnessing the orchestra’s growth in artistic vision over the past 20 years has been a rewarding experience for her. Ann eagerly anticipates what the next 20 years will bring for the orchestra.

Mark provides full service banking relationships to high-net-worth individuals and families in Portland. An experienced business and private banker who began his career in 2008. he is highly respected across various commercial sectors, including nonprofit, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services. He forges close relationships with clients to understand their unique needs and develop customized solutions that help them meet their business and financial goals.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, and a degree in culinary arts, hospitality administration and management from the New England Culinary Institute.

Mark has served on a number of not for profit boards in the arts and humanity arenas and is an avid fan of classical music as well as just about all music genres.

Steven Byess is a dynamic and passionate conductor, hailed by critics as “masterful and brilliant,” “creating the epitome of instrumental elegance,” and capturing “the full spirit and vitality of the score perfectly.” Recognized for his musical versatility, multi-faceted presence on the podium, and passion for music education, he is devoted to promoting a life-long love and enthusiasm for music and the arts. 

Steven is celebrating his 11th season as Music Director of Orchestra Nova Northwest (formerly Portland Columbia Symphony). Also, he serves as the music director of the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra and the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. He conducted the U.S. premiere of Russian violinist Alexander Markov’s Rock Concerto at Carnegie Hall in New York. He was selected by Walt Disney World Entertainment to conduct the 2000 NFL E*TRADE Super Bowl Halftime show, where he performed for a television audience of 88 million fans.

As a passionate advocate for the arts, Steven is sought after for his speeches on the arts, music, and education and has organized collaborations with numerous choruses, chamber music ensembles, and festivals. He wrote and co-directed a PBS presentation, Count On It!, designed to connect music and mathematics for children grades K-3. Since 2013, he has shared this passion with over 85,000 children around the country as a conductor of the Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute Link Up orchestral education concerts.

A prolific conductor of opera from grand to contemporary, his performances include Puccini’s La Bohème and a critically acclaimed production of Robert Ward’s The Crucible at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel; Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Greensboro Opera; Bizet’s Carmen with Emerald City Opera (Colorado); Copland’s The Tender Land, Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance, and a collaboration with composer Ricky Ian Gordon on his opera “27” with Intermountain Opera (Montana); and Weill’s Street Scene and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance with the Eastman School of Music Opera Theatre. Steven has been a guest conductor at the Pine Mountain Music Festival in Michigan for their productions of Le tragédie de Carmen (Bizet/Brook), a highly acclaimed production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, collaborating with the composer’s daughter Jamie Bernstein, and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. 

Steven is the former associate music director of the Ohio Light Opera, where he conducted over 80 productions and 21 commercial recordings, including repertoire ranging from well- to little-known operas and operettas to blockbuster classic American musical theater works.

During the 2023-2024 season, Steven conducted over 60 symphonic performances around the U.S., including 12 premieres, as well as ballet productions of The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Coppélia, and the Finals Round of the Cleveland International Piano Competition – Youth Division in July 2023.

Maestro Byess’ podium is sponsored by Grant & Gretchen Hatton and Lindsay & Christopher Kolar, In Honor of Marjorie Beam

John grew up in Hillsboro, and is an active freelance musician on the west coast. He took private lessons locally, and played with the Portland Youth Philharmonic in middle and high schools. John is second trombone with Orchestra Nova Northwest, and plays regularly with Vancouver Symphony, Newport Symphony, and other ensembles around town, as well as occasional appearances with the Portland Opera and the Portland Festival Orchestra. John teaches privately in the Portland-Metro area. He attended Portland State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he received a degree in Music Performance. He was a member of the Marin Symphony, and regular substitute with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Texas Wind Symphony, Garland Symphony, and a founding member of the trombone quartet Slide Handlers while living in Dallas, Texas. John loves the outdoors, movies, and listening to all types of music. He has been married to his amazing wife Karen for over 30 years and loves raising their daughter.

Story about how I came to play trombone:
As a kid, I did not have the hand strength and dexterity needed to play many instruments, and my mom knew this. A few months before instrument selection in elementary school, she started playing lots of classical music with strong trombone parts; Wagner, Mahler, Respighi, Shostakovich, brass quintets, etc. This had the desired effect, as when I was choosing, I asked, “What was that instrument in that Mahler thing?” When I chose trombone, my mother breathed a sigh of relief knowing it was something I could play and stick with. Over 45 years later, I’m still with it, and love to play with ONN and our wonderful low brass section of Greg Scholl, John Ohnstad, and James Kuzmic. Being able to play this amazing music with friends, and under the fabulous leadership of Steven Byess, is both a privilege and a pleasure.

The Trombone Section is sponsored by Mardy & Hank Stevens.

Adam Eccleston is an internationally acclaimed flutist, educator, and arts leader whose career spans solo, chamber, and orchestral performance, arts advocacy, and nonprofit leadership. He has appeared at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Kurhaus in Germany, and his work has earned him numerous accolades, including First Prize in the 2021 Golden Classical Music Award International Competition and the New York Flute Club Competition.

Eccleston currently serves as Executive Director of Orchestra Nova Northwest, bringing to the role a strong background in strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational development. A dedicated advocate for access and innovation in the arts, he has led national initiatives to amplify underrepresented voices in classical music, including his work as Chair of the Recording Inclusivity Initiative at All Classical Radio, where he also serves as a host and producer. He previously held the title of Artist in Residence Emeritus at the station.

A frequent collaborator with organizations advancing the role of the arts in public life, Eccleston is a faculty member of the Global Leaders Institute, where he mentors arts professionals around the world in cultural entrepreneurship and sustainable leadership practices.

Born in New York City and raised in Germany, Eccleston studied with Eric Lamb and Thaddeus Watson at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt. He holds master’s degrees in both music performance and music education, and studied under Tara Helen O’Connor at SUNY Purchase and Paula Robison at the New England Conservatory.

Shannon has a deep passion for the arts, children’s causes, inclusivity, and community involvement, which has shaped her successful twenty-plus-year career in nonprofit executive management. She joined Cognizart by MetroArts Inc. in 2015 and, due to unparalleled successes and growth, became its Executive Director in 2017. In September 2025, Shannon’s achievements at Cognizart, along with her commitment to ensuring that all children have access to arts opportunities, coupled with her enthusiasm for ONN’s progressive programming and exceptional orchestra and people, led her to become Chief Executive Officer of Orchestra Nova Northwest. Through a collaborative merger, and by holding dual roles with ONN and Cognizart, Shannon aims to further the combined visions of both organizations, promoting creativity at every stage of life. She is thrilled to be working alongside Adam Eccleston, a friend and previous Cognizart collaborator. A native of Portland and a graduate of the University of Oregon, she enjoys every day of life with her son, Knight, a Freshman at Lincoln High School, and her eldest child, Em, a Junior at the University of Oregon – GO DUCKS!