Meet the Team

Cascade Chorale Association is run entirely by a team of dedicated volunteers! Meet them below.

Board of Directors

Marilyn Elliott

President/Event Manager

Now entering her third year as President of the Cascade Chorale Association, Marilyn has been a dedicated member since 2010, contributing in a variety of board roles over the years. Her commitment to music education and advocacy also includes five years with the Friends of Music Board at Summit High School, where she served a two-year term as President. Prior to settling in Bend, Marilyn was among the inaugural staff of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, serving as Executive Assistant to its founder and Director. A lifelong lover of music, she comes from a remarkably musical family—all five siblings played one or two instruments, a tradition that continues to inspire her work with CCA.

Rudy Erbrich

Vice President/Finance Chair

Rudy grew up in a musical family and started his musical journey at a young age: he began playing the flute at five years old, played piano from the ages of 6-14, and settled on the trombone when he was 12. He performed for nearly two decades in groups ranging from community choirs to youth big bands to medieval festivals. Rudy started singing with Cascade Chorale in 2023, and finds that music enriches his life as both a creative outlet and a source of community. There is no better feeling than being part of a group of people from all walks of life coming together to create an impressive piece of art. Rudy owns and operates a small freelance business that offers linguistic and translation services.

Becky Williams

Secretary

Becky first joined Cascade Chorale in September 2024. Singing, spending time with family and friends, volunteering, and gardening bring her great joy! Since childhood she has sung in church choirs, school, community choruses, and she sang Girl Scout songs as a kid, as a troop leader, and as a camp counselor for many summers. Becky’s work highlights include engineering and drafting (including drafting the Mount St. Helens interpretive sites from survey notes), as well as administrative, legal, financial, and payroll services. Fun employment included a summer in Alaska at AMU and Portage Glacier, a summer working in the Grand Teton National Park, and 9 summers spent living and working on U.S. Forest Service fire lookouts.

Pendra Surette

Treasurer

Pendra has been singing since childhood: at church, in high school musicals and, memorably, in Carnegie Hall under the direction of John Rutter. She has sung with Cascade Chorale every year since 1989, and also delights in bringing music to residents in assisted living facilities. When the CCA board was established in the early 2000’s, Pendra immediately stepped up to volunteer as CCA’s money manager. With a career background in health and safety compliance, Pendra has gone out of her way to gather and refine her accounting knowledge. To the great benefit of the organization, she recently undertook the essential task of converting CCA’s accounting to the use of online tools.

James W. Knox

Director

James W. Knox is an American composer and Professor of Music at Central Oregon Community College, where he leads an active and diverse program in choral and vocal studies. Widely recognized for his vibrant and evocative choral writing, Knox’s music has been performed across the United States and internationally, including in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, England, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia.