OLS Board and Staff

Emily Read

Beth Given-Sorensen

Kristen Kresge

Fiona O'Grady

Andy Cole

Glen Loper

Daniel Grier

Colin Winsor

Chris Cambra

Josiah Belt

Wendy Drexler

Wendy plays guitar and is a member of Maine Songwriters Association. Her “happy hour” is the weekly folk ensemble she attends where she sings and plays for the pure joy of making music. She loves One Longfellow Square and all the new (and old) music she discovers here. She considers herself a lifelong curious learner and continues to teach graduate courses in educational technology.

“It’s impossible to pick a favorite OLS concert because I can truly attend any show and experience highly talented artists. John Craigie was a sweet surprise for the wisdom of his songwriting and his hysterical sense of humor. Another unexpected treat was Dar Williams with Crys Matthews who writes powerful songs of hope and change.”

Mary Turner

Mary has been involved with food security for many years, currently with Good Shepherd Food Bank. She loves singing with Women in Harmony, and has been on the boards of Arts are Elementary and Friends of Curtis Memorial Library. She is valiantly trying to learn the uke and is always game for kayaking.

“My favorite concert experience is usually the next concert I go to! I can thank OLS for my love of blue grass and Americana. Hearing Joe K Walsh play from his apartment during COVID was fantastic. My almost groupie status for The Ghost of Paul Revere started at Thomas Point Beach at their 1st Ghostland.”

Robin Lee

The moment the school bus pulled up filled with hometown fans of Georgetown native Lauren Crosby, I knew we were in for some fun. The band rocked. The crowd rocked. The room was filled with music, love and community. It was a joyful experience, one unique to One Longfellow Square.

Al Leighton

Al is an original member of the One Longfellow Square board. More recently, he’s become half of the OLS board duo of Jim and Al for our open mics.

“There have been many memorable moments at OLS. The Pete Seeger Pot Luck Dinner and Celebration is one of the tops, along with the Benefit for the People of Ukraine fundraiser. Shows include Tinariwen, Amy Ray Band, Charlie Musslewhite, and David Bromberg’s second night at OLS.”

Erik Fiebert

As a recently retired financial executive and, when not serving on the board of OLS, Erik’s passion is attending theatre and concerts, antiquing, gardening, and world traveling.

“I had only been to a few shows at the venue but was impressed with the quality of the artists, relatively low-ticket prices, and the intimacy of the shows. Compared to all the other live shows I’ve seen in Portland and in the NYC area, this is one of my favorites. It’s easy to get tickets as opposed to the mad rush to get good seats at other places.”

Kerstin Gilg

Kerstin Gilg is the Development Manager at the Maine Academy of Modern Music. Prior to joining MAMM, Kerstin served as the Director of Grants and Accessibility at the Maine Arts Commission, where he championed accessibility and advocated for the arts community. With over two decades of experience, Kerstin is adept at navigating programming, strategic planning, organizational development, fundraising, and operational management. Kerstin is an alumnus of the Leadership LIFT 360 program and the co-founder of the Artdogs Studios business in Gardiner, Maine. His commitment to the arts extends beyond his professional endeavors, as he actively volunteers, participates in, and attends arts events regularly.

“My wife and I enjoy Hiss Golden Messenger concerts when they come to One Longfellow Square and always enjoy seeing those shows.”

Ethan Hipple

Ethan Hipple is the Director of the Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department for the City of Portland. Ethan’s passion for recreation and the outdoors was ignited while working on trail crews in National Parks and National Forests. He went on to serve as Hut Crew in the Appalachian Mountain Club’s High Mountain Huts, guided trail crews and wilderness trips for youth, managed a nationwide youth conservation corps program (SCA), directed the AmeriCorps New Hampshire Conservation Corps, and ran the Parks and Recreation Department and Abenaki Ski Area in Wolfeboro, NH. Since 2016 he has served the City of Portland where he is now the Director of the Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department. His focus in his role is to create opportunities for Portlanders of all backgrounds to enjoy the outdoors and connect with each other through recreation and cultural experiences. He serves on the boards of the Portland Parks Conservancy and One Longfellow Square. He and his wife Sarah live in the Rosemont neighborhood of Portland, along with their family.

James Katsiaficas

Jim is an attorney at Perkins Thompson in Portland and focuses his practice on municipal and environmental law. In his spare time, he plays guitar with a number of area groups (including a blues duo with OLS Board member Al Leighton) and repairs stringed instruments. He and his wife, Donna, reside in Portland and have been OLS members for several years.

“OLS provides a rare and great opportunity to catch new and up and coming acts, as well as some established acts, playing before a small but enthusiastic audience in a venue with good acoustic qualities and no bad seats. The range of fine shows we’ve seen there include appearances by The Stray Birds, Le Vent du Nord, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Ten Strings and a Goatskin, Graham Parker, and Marshall Crenshaw.”

Elise Loschiavo

Elise is a longtime music lover and 20-year Portland resident with a background in the music industry. When she isn’t selling condos and homes in downtown Portland as a Broker with Vitalius Real Estate Group, you can find her traveling North America following her favorite musicians.

Richard McGinley

Rick is the founder of Dynamic Air Corp a mfgs rep firm which provides HVAC Products for a Sustainable Future. A member of the OLS Board since 2013 Rick is a big fan of acoustic music. A special moment at OLS was hearing Richard Shindell and Don Conoscenti playing the Grateful Dead’s I Know You Rider. There is no place better to experience live music than One Longfellow Square!

Rob Mitchell

Rob has lived in Portland for 35 years and is a retired environmental consultant, who loves all types of music. He began volunteering at OLS in 2012 and joined the Board in 2017. Seeing the smiles on the faces of our patrons and expanding the types of concerts OLS hosts is what drives Rob in his love of OLS.

“My concert favorites have ranged from solo acoustic Greg Brown and Pierre Bensusan concerts to wonderful full-band shows by Driftwood, Eilen Jewell and Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys. The OLS stage and our excellent acoustics are well suited to all types of performances!”

Peter Bass

Christopher Oberholtzer

As the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Southern Maine Osher School of Music, Dr. Christopher Oberholtzer heads a program that is recognized as being one of the leading college jazz programs in New England. Chris also enjoys serving throughout the country as a freelance trombonist, guest clinician and guest director with numerous high school and college jazz ensembles.

Chris also maintains a busy schedule as a freelance trombonist. He has performed, toured and recorded nationally, and abroad with many groups including the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra, Ringling Brothers Circus, Tony Bennett, Claudio Roditi, Wayne Bergeron, the New York Voices, Bob Mintzer, Bucky Pizzarelli, the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Aaron Neville, Roberta Flack and the Temptations.

Serving as Musical Director of the Portland Jazz Orchestra, Chris is quite busy with the details of leading a regionally active big band. As a clinician for the United Musical Instrument/Selmer Corporation, Chris performs on Bach trombones.

“I have seen many exceptional performances at OLS. Recently, the Larry Goldings Trio stands out as one of my favorites. As great as those memories are, I have many more that come from the stage… Listening to my daughter, Katie, sing with the Portland Jazz Orchestra cannot be topped. I’ll keep trying.”

Courtney Bassett

Music has been a meaningful part of Courtney’s life as long as she can remember, and live music has captivated, inspired, challenged, and delighted her from the vantages of both avid concert-goer and amateur musician. Courtney became a member of her neighborhood concert venue upon moving to Portland and was excited to increase her involvement a few years later by joining the board, to which she brings almost twenty years of professional and volunteer experience in nonprofit development.

“I am typically the friend who will rally a group for a show, and some of my favorite concerts at OLS have involved sharing new and favorite artists. Gathering friends to see Dar Williams stands out as a special memory — it was my first time seeing her live after being inspired by her music in high school. The Brother Brothers’ harmonies in such an intimate space were enchanting, and I always love seeing Hiss Golden Messenger and hearing about his affinity for playing in Maine.”