Columbia Choral Society Board of Directors
Richard Schulz, Chair
Susan Jennings, Vice-Chair
Celina Linares, Board and Chorus Secretary
David Watkins, Treasurer
Donna Thompson, Immediate Past Chair
Elizabeth Mears, Artistic Director
Christine Counts-Davis, Chorus President
James Thompson, Chorus Treasurer
Judy Doudoukjian
Kay Gaffney
Charles Huff
Maren MacConnell
John Magill
Delia Mears
Nzisa Mutinga
Anthony Porter
Board Members
Christine Counts-Davis teaches third grade in Blythewood and joined the choir in January 2020. She is a pianist who sings. She loves to bake and decorate cakes, read mysteries, and watch football.
Kay Gaffney Crowe graduated from the University of California in 1972 and from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1975. She worked as a law clerk and for the SC Attorney General and joined Barnes Alford in 1981. Her practice is defense litigation with a concentration in medical malpractice and hospital malpractice. In addition to her work with the firm, Ms. Crowe has been an active member of the South Carolina Bar. She was the first woman elected President of the South Carolina Defense Attorneys Association. She serves on the South Carolina Commission on the Profession. She is the Chancellor of the South Carolina United Methodist Church. She is a supporter of the Charleston Symphony, the Charleston Pops, and live music of all genres.
JudyDoudoukjian received her BA from Lambuth College followed by graduate studies at the University of Memphis, Arkansas State University, and the University of South Carolina. She studied organ under Dr. Jo Fleming, Dr. Walter Wade, and Dr. Bill Bates. Her piano study included study with duo-pianists Nelson and Neal, and Dr. Fugo. Most of her Experience is in choral music, having served for 25 years with Shelby County Schools in Memphis/ Collierville, TN, and serving 10 years as organist/ choir director at Collierville UMC. Since moving to Columbia in 1988, she served as assistant organist at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, where she was commissioned by FPC to write/ compose a full-length musical drama celebrating their bicentennial. This was presented in 1995. After the death of her husband in 1996, she served six years as a World Witness missionary in Tampico, MX where she established a sacred music program in the Seminary Eben-Ezer. Returning to the USA, she has since served as Director of Music Ministry at Centennial ARP. Judy has four adult children, Ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. She enjoys sewing and quilting and composing/ arranging music. Most recently, the Federated Music Clubs of South Caroling awarded her “South Carolina Musician of the Year.” Both her daughter Jeannie and her grandson James sing in CCS.
Charles Huff, Jr., A member of CCS and a retired banking executive and business owner with a BS degree from High Point University in Business Administration and Finance, has held numerous leadership roles as a member of corporate, nonprofit and civic boards in NC and Tennessee; where he chaired the Cleveland Tennessee City School Board and was nominated for Citizen of the Year.
His fund raisings, HR, sales, management and long-range planning experience has benefited many organizations and nonprofits including both his church and Habitat for Humanity, the latter honoring him with special public recognition from the organization’s founder, Millard Fuller, for raising $1million in one event.
His musical journey began at birth and continues with a love for all types of music, resulting in his being active as a singer, soloist, choir member, and string musician. He and wife, Lelia (Lee), relocated from High Point, NC to Northeast Columbia in 2019 where they now reside.
Susan Jennings has been a member of the Columbia Choral Society since 1982. She received a BS degree in Elementary Education from Presbyterian College and a Masters in Education from the University of South Carolina. In 2016, Susan retired from Lexington District One where she taught at Red Bank Elementary for 34 years. Susan is a member of First Presbyterian Church where she sings in the Chancel Choir, plays in the handbell choir, and volunteers with the Senior Ministries.
Celina Linares, secretary for Columbia Choral Society, earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Augusta State University. She has worked for the Department of Juvenile Justice for 20 years evaluating juveniles for Family Court. The last ten years, she has been a community psychologist traveling weekly to counties in South Carolina completing evaluations. She attends St. Thomas More Catholic Church, where she sings in the choir and is also part of an all-women schola choir.
John Magill has sung bass with the Columbia Choral Society for almost twenty years and is a former Board of Directors Chair. He has also sung in a variety of church choirs for over fifty years and is currently a member of the Chancel Choir at Eastminster Presbyterian church. He graduated from Queen’s University in Belfast, N. Ireland in mechanical engineering and joined a multi-national company with whom he worked for forty-five years in three countries and four US States, ending up as Vice-President, Engineering. In addition to his duties with the company, he worked with an international trade association, writing national and international engineering standards and leading the US delegation at meetings of the International Standards Organization. He is now retired, and in addition to choral singing is Vice-President of his neighborhood association and sits on a City of Columbia Board of Appeals. He is actively involved in issues related to preservation of Columbia’s historic districts.
Maren MacConnell has been a member of the Columbia Choral Society since 2023. She is an alumna of the University of South Carolina where she sang with the Cocktails female a cappella group and served in various leadership roles. Throughout high school she sang in honors choir as well as district and all-state chorus. She participates with Town Theatre as a performer and crew member. Maren currently works as a consultant for a nonprofit organization that focuses on closing the literacy gap among children in Virginia. Maren practices ashtanga yoga, enjoys vegetarian cooking and piano, and is learning to play the violin.
Delia Mears works as an Environmental and Sustainability Analyst for Sonoco. In her career, she also spent time in Sonoco’s Recycling Division and was the Quality and Environmental Specialist at Shakespeare Company. She received her Bachelor’s of Environmental Science from USC and graduated with Leadership Distinction. In high school, she sang in the District Honor Choir and grew up participating in church choirs, the handbell choir, and playing piano competitively. In her free time, she likes to read and cross stitch.
Nzisa Mutinga has been a member of the Columbia Choral Society since 2020. She is a graduate of Oakwood University with a B.S in Biochemistry, Harvard University with a Master of Science in Population and International Health, and the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She has been a practicing nephrologist in Columbia South Carolina since 2005 where her focus has been on the treatment and prevention of chronic kidney disease. She attends Ephesus SDA Church where she is an active member of the choir and the praise team. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and baking.
Anthony M. Porter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Coastal Carolina University and a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Executive Leadership from the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University.
An active member of Columbia’s vibrant choral community, Mr. Porter sings with the Columbia Choral Society under the artistic leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Mears, performing a diverse repertoire spanning classical masterworks to contemporary choral literature. He is also a member of the Sandlapper Singers, directed by Dr. Augie Gil, where he contributes to performances that emphasize American choral music and innovative programming. Additionally, Mr. Porter serves as a choral scholar with the Chancel Choir at Washington Street United Methodist Church, under the direction of Dr. Catherine Nance, where he supports the musical and liturgical life of the congregation through regular worship services and special concerts.
Beyond his musical endeavors, Mr. Porter is dedicated to volunteer service with Carolina Crown, one of the nation’s premier drum corps organizations, where he assists with events such as CrownLIVE, CrownBEAT, and NightBEAT. In his personal time, he finds great joy in the companionship of his beloved dog, Chloe.
Richard Schulz has been a member of the Columbia Choral Society (CCS) for many years, serving at various times as Section Leader, Chorus President and Board of Directors Chair. He is a retired professor from the University of South Carolina, serving in that capacity from 1986 – 2017. He also has been on faculty at West Virginia University and the University of Washington in Seattle. In addition to singing great music with a superb chorus and Artistic Director, Richard focuses on assuring financial stability for the organization, finding opportunities through support from foundations, government agencies, and individual and corporate sponsors, to enhance CCS’ sustainability into our next 100 years of operation.
James E. Thompson, Chorus Treasurer. James is currently retired, formerly the Director of Finance at Companion Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.
David Watkins is a Certified Public Accountant and currently has a practice located at 3103 Devine Street where he does mostly tax work. He is a native of Columbia where he attended Cardinal Newman High School. During his teenage years, he was active in the scouting program and was successful in obtaining his Eagle Award. After graduating from Clemson University in 1981 with a degree in accounting he joined the international accounting firm of Ernst and Young in Houston, Texas. He is the father of four children and he is active in the Columbia running community and has served on the board of Trustus Theater, Columbia Choral Society, and Sandlapper Singers. He also served as the fundraising chairman of the American Cancer Society in SC.