NorCal COTS FACULTY BIOS 2006
DEAN
John T. Schneider, Jr (Dean) – Land O’Lakes District (Wisconsin).
A 35 year barbershopper, John joined the Society in Houston, Texas, and sang with the Tidelanders
for 27 years. He held virtually all of the chapter offices, served the Southwestern District as
President and in many offices; served on the Society Board of Directors on two separate occasions
(was Vice President at one time). He joined the Society Staff as Manager of Conventions and
Meetings and Staff Counsel in June, 1997. Prior to joining the Society Staff, John practiced
law in Houston for 30 years. He is a member of the SWD Hall of Fame and was SWD
Barbershopper of the Year. He is married to Lucy (41 years) and has three lovely
daughters and four grandsons (his quartet) with a granddaughter on the way. John has
been on the COTS Faculty since 1998. JSchneider@barbershop.org.
PRESIDENTS
Jim Legters (Presidents) - Johnny Appleseed District (Pennsylvania).
A Society member since 1966 - 32 year career teacher, retired - past chapter bulletin editor,
Music & Perf. VP, and business manager - chapter president at least one year in every decade
since the 60's - currently on JAD Events team & chairman of JAD grant writing program
- '95 - '96 JAD President - COTS faculty since 1997 - 3 sons who are barbershoppers/quartetters and an
extremely supportive barbershopshop wife". jim@legters.com
SECRETARIES
Lowell Shank (Secretaries) - Cardinal District (Kentucky).
Sings with Mammoth Cave, KY Chapter. COTS faculty since 1985. Offices held: All chapter offices,
Cardinal District secretary, president, Society Board member (1990-91),
PROBE President (1992-95 and 2005), and editor of Cardinal District's
IN-KY NOTES bulletin (1992-97). Awards: Cardinal District BOTY (1984),
International Bulletin Editor of the Year (1985), PROBE Hall of Honor (1998),
Cardinal District Hall of Fame (2003). Currently chapter secretary,
Chairman of the Society COTS Subcommittee and retired Professor of Chemistry -
Western Kentucky University. lowell.shank@wku.edu
TREASURERS
Frank Santarelli (Treasurers) – Land O’Lakes District (Wisconsin).
Frank has been a Society employee since prior to 1980 and has been the Director Finance and
Administration since 1983. He has been a COTS faculty member since 1977.
Frank has an undergraduate and graduate degree in accounting from Marquette University and
holds various professional designations (CPA and CAE). fsantarelli@spebsqsa.org
CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT
Greg Swann (Chapter Development) – Johnny Appleseed District (West Virginia).
A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 1967 and the COTS Faculty since 2000.
A member of the Johnny Appleseed District, and native of Milton, West Virginia.
Served as Area Counselor, Division VP, District VP Membership (8 years), District VP M&PR,
and District VP Events. Now serves as Manager of Events and Conventions, a Chapter Counselor,
and VP Chapter Development for his own chapter (The Greater Kanawha Valley Chapter).
Greg has served as a member of the Society Membership Committee since 2005.
Greg is married and has four grown sons and two grandchildren. Professionally,
Greg is a project manager for an HVAC Company.
greg.swann2@verizon.net
MARKETING & PR
Terry Jordan (Marketing & PR) - Mid-Atlantic District (Virginia).
Terry has been a member since 1965. He has served on the District and Society COTS faculty
starting in 1966, two years on faculty for Harmony College and many years on the district's
mini-HEP faculty. Many district positions included District PR Officer and Bulletin Editor
or Co-Ed six years. He served on the Society PR committee and the COTS sub-committee.
He is currently a Chapter Counselor and MAD CSLT-VP. Terry received the Society's Individual
PR Award in 1981, was elected to the M-AD honor chapter, DELASUSQUEHUDMAC in 1988, also
Mid-Atlantic District's Hall of Honor. Society PROBE Hall of Honor inductee in 2006.
fourpartterryj@aol.com
MUSIC & PERFORMANCE
Barry Towner (Music & Performance) - Ontario District (Ontario).
Barry has been a member of the Society since 1975. He directs the Barrie County Chordsmen and
sings with the Toronto Northern Lights Chorus. Barry is a certified Presentation judge
and is the Ontario District Vice President of Contest & Judging. Barry is also a certified
CDWI trainer. Barry is an Ontario District Barbershopper of Renown and was the 1995
Ontario District Barbershopper of the Year. btowner@interhop.net
CHORUS DIRECTORS
Bruce Foreman (Chorus Directors) – Evergreen District (Washington).
Sings in Pierce County, WA Chapter (1998), formerly with Tacoma, WA chapter (1961).
COTS faculty (1991), Certified Director and Directors of the Future Trainer (2003).
Chapter offices: Ass't Director, VP M&P, Treasurer, VP Marketing and PR, President;
Evergreen District offices: VP Chorus Director Development, VP M&P, Executive VP, President,
Dean HCNW. Awards: Member of Quartet Champions of the Evergreen District (
Commencement Bay Flounders and Seafood Conspiracy, 1976) and QCED past president;
chapter BOTY 1991 and 1996, Society VP of the Year for Chorus Director Development (1998).
Former United Methodist pastor, retired specialty contractor. bp4man@wamail.net
YOUNG MEN IN HARMONY
Bob Coant (Young Men in Harmony) – Seneca Land District (New York).
Bob has been a Society member since 1978 and a COTS Instructor since 1988
(currently the YMIH Faculty Advisor). He is a dual member of the Oswego Valley & Rochester,
NY chapters, is a two-time chapter BOTY, Seneca Land District BOTY, and a member of the
Seneca Land District Hall of Fame. He has held all chapter and district offices
(except treasurer) including District President (1997-98) and is a member of the
Cornerstone Quartet (95 Buckeye Champs/97 SLD Champs/done 300 chapter shows in 29
states and 5 countries). Bob was a Society Board Member from 2002-2004.
rcoant@twcny.rr.com
CHAPTER COUNSELORS/LEADERSHIP
Bill Hogan (Chapter Counselor/Leadership) – Southwestern District (Texas).
A society member for 23 years, Bill has held positions as Treasurer, Secretary and
President for several different chapters. He has been show chairman 6 different times,
and has sung in 5 different quartets, competing at the district and international levels.
With more than 33 years in marketing, Bill has presented hundreds of workshops on time
management, problem solving, leadership development, strategic planning, product positioning,
pricing, and creativity. Possessing both business and measurement degrees, and he has also
taught at the graduate school level. bhogan2@earthlink.net
INTRODUCTION TO WEBSITE DESIGN
Keith Eckhardt (Website Design) - Far Western District (California).
A society member and a member of the Placerville chapter since 1993 where he was BOTY in 1999.
He has been Chapter President,
Music & Performance VP, Marketing and PR VP, acting Membership VP, Librarian, Singing Valentines Chairman,
and he organized two summer programs to get teens singing. He is currently FWD Webmaster,
FWD Convention Activities Chairman, Harmony College West Administrator,
COTS Webmaster, and a member of the FWD Long Range Planning Committee.
He was awarded the FWD President's Award in 2002 and the Placerville Chapter was the
FWD 2003 Chapter of the Year while he was President.
Keith is a committed quartetter and recently became an AHSOW member on all four parts.
He is retired from IBM where he was a programmer for many years as well as a manager and software architect.
As a Software Development Manager his major project was a PC based formatter for SGML documents.
The HTML and XML used today on websites are implementations of SGML. Keith has been the
webmaster for the Far Western District since 1999.
keith@eckhardts.com