Meet the Team
Cascade Chorale Association is run entirely by a team of dedicated volunteers! Meet them below.
Board of Directors
Rudy Erbrich
President
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.
Fray Crease
Vice President/Finance Chair
Fray first developed her love of singing with the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus and continued performing with a variety of vocal and theatrical groups through college. Later in life, she rediscovered the joy of community choir, joining the Siskiyou Singers in Ashland, Oregon, before moving to Bend and becoming a member of the Cascade Chorale in 2025. In addition to singing, Fray enjoys playing the piano and has a professional background in water resource management. She served on the Board of Explore Ecology, an environmental education nonprofit, and volunteers as a horse handler for equine-assisted therapy. Fray is pleased to serve on the CCA Board and looks forward to contributing her experience and enthusiasm to the organization’s continued success.
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.
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.
_crop.jpg)
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.
Leadership
Marilyn Elliott
Vicki Kerr
June Krol
Rebecca LaFond
Calah McDuffie
Wendy Patton
Rod Pittam
Cena Abendroth
Anita Read
Bob Stillson
Pendra Surette
Carolynn Stoops
Lisa Wooden
Past President/Event Manager
Give the Gift of Song
Concert Attire
Website
Accompanist
Registration/Communications
Stage Designer
Marketing/Promotions
Program Designer
New Member Contact/Stage Manager
Retirement Home Contact
Concert Attire/Facebook
Music Librarian/Volunteers