Board Members
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​Mark Gifford
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​The Big Rapids City Manager is a founding board member and Chairperson of the Big Rapids Festival of the Arts. Mark’s skills in “table setting” add a tremendous asset to the activities of the board. He is a Big Rapids native and has been involved with many local projects, including River Days, the River Walk, and the gazebo in Mitchell Creek Park.
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​Roxanne Cullen
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Roxanne is a past president of Artworks board of directors and volunteers in the gift shop and as curator. She has a doctorate in English from Bowling Green State University and has been employed as a professor of English at Ferris State University since 1983.  She has been a board member of the Festival of the Arts since 2015.
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​Paul Kwant
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Paul Kwant is an Associate Professor in the Music and Entertainment Business program at Ferris State University, where he combines academic leadership with a lifelong passion for the music industry. A seasoned music business veteran and avid guitar enthusiast, he brings real-world experience into the classroom—bridging the gap between creative artistry and industry professionalism. As a songwriter and performer, Paul channels his love for music into projects that  inspire both students and peers. Outside of his professional life, he’s a devoted family man and proud dog lover who believes that balance, creativity, and authenticity are the keys to a meaningful life and career in music.
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Tara Braun
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​Dr. Tara Braun, a lifelong Michigan resident and alumna of Big Rapids High School, Ferris State University, and Central Michigan University, serves as Executive Director of International Education at Ferris State University. She is co-founder and Chair of Study Michigan and serves on the JCMU Executive Board, the IC3 Content and Research Committee, CMU’s Doctorate of Education Alumni Board, the Big Rapids Festival of the Arts board, and is President of the Big Rapids Rotary. She is passionate about international education and helping people explore the world.
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Karen Manoski
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​Karen Manoski, a longtime resident of Big Rapids, has been a been a Festival of the Arts Board member since 2017. A favorite quote from Thomas Merton, "art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time," expresses her love of the arts and the enrichment opportunities she feels the festival brings to Big Rapids and the surrounding communities. Karen is the City Clerk for the City of Big Rapids and is a member of the Rotary of Big Rapids and the 100 Women Who Care.
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Ed Mallett
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​Ed Mallett has been a member of the Festival of the Arts board since its inception in 2007. A Big Rapids native, he has been involved with community arts organizations throughout his life. He is also the founder and artistic director of the internationally acclaimed Tuba Bach Festival, which also proudly calls Big Rapids home. He and his wife Adriana have two grown children, a professional artist and a musician, and live here in the community with their five dogs.
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Scott Cohen
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Dr. Richard Scott Cohen recently retired from Ferris State University, where he was Director of Bands and Orchestras and Chair of the Humanities Department. A Chicago native, he holds bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and master’s and doctoral degrees in Instrumental Conducting from Northwestern University. A former Fulbright Music Research Scholar to Spain, Scott continues to serve on the boards of Artworks, Tuba Bach Music Festival, Big Rapids Rotary Club, Big Rapids Festival of the Arts, the Fulbright Association of West and Mid-Michigan, and the International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music.
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Jane Pedelty
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 Jane Pedelty grew up on a farm in Paris, Michigan, and attended Big Rapids schools and Ferris State University. She worked at Ferris State for over 43 years before retiring and now works part-time at Hutson John Deere. She is a member of the Paris United Methodist Church, part of the United Methodist Ministries of Mecosta County, and serves on the board of Tuba Bach. Jane has three children and nine grandchildren.