Who’s Who

Board of Directors

President: Courtney Lombardi
President Emerita: Jeni Luther
Vice President: Celia Kettle
Vice President: Graham Watkins
Secretary: Mark Putnam
Treasurer: Mike Williams
Treasurer: Jaime Goeden
Artistic Director Emerita: Amanda Santo

Artistic Director: Eric W. Van Dervort was appointed director of the West Bay Chorale in June 2017.  An accomplished conductor and pianist, he currently serves as the Music Director at Woodridge Congregational United Church of Christ in Cranston, Rhode Island. A long-term resident of Ohio, he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Kent State University and completed advanced coursework in Choral Conducting from Case Western Reserve University. His conducting teachers have included John Rutter, Margaret Hillis, Robert Shaw, Vance George, and Robert Page

Mr. Van Dervort has directed the choral programs at the Providence Country Day School, Moses Brown, and the Severn School.  His ensembles have given concert tours of Germany and England.  He also enjoys conducting the First Baptist Church of Wickford's Annual Messiah Sing, and the Cause for a Concert, where an intergenerational group of singers from churches, schools, and the North Kingstown Community Chorus join forces to raise funds for the North Kingstown Food Pantry.

Colabrative Accompanist: John Boutcher, is a high school math teacher and enjoys making music as an avocation at the current time. He has accompanied many groups in the Rhode Island area including the West Bay Chorale, Warwick Symphony Orchestra, the Rhode Island Civic Chorale, the Rhode Island College Chorus, the Orchard Place Opera Workshop and for many years the Opera Workshop at the Community College of Rhode Island. He studied with Dr. Elizabeth Buccheri of Chicago and Dr. Judith Lynn Stillman at Rhode Island College where he earned his Master’s Degree in Music Education.