Conductors

Middle School Honor Choir

Ann Schertzer is currently a middle school music teacher and choral director at Bexley Middle School. At Bexley, in addition to choral music instruction, Ann enjoys leading classes in keyboard, guitar, music technology, and beginning strings.

Formerly, she was the choral director at Grant Middle School in Marion City Schools. From 2004-2021, Ann helped to foster active involvement in music at the middle school level and under her direction, the 7th and 8th grade TTB, SSA and SATB choirs consistently received Superior ratings at the Ohio Music Education Association State Adjudicated Event. As many as 260 students were involved in choir at GMS under Ann's direction.

Ann's success led her to several opportunities to present on topics related to middle school choral teaching as a clinician at the Ohio Music Education Association State Conference. She continues to be active throughout Ohio where she has had the pleasure of guest conducting Middle School Honors Choirs in all areas of the state.

Ann has an extensive background and interest in musical theatre in addition to her classroom teaching. She led a thriving musical theatre program where she directed and produced middle school theatrical productions of Pirates of Penzance, Aladdin, Bugsy Malone, Willy Wonka, Mulan, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, and The Little Mermaid. She has also served as the vocal director for numerous other junior shows including Disney's Descendants, Junie B. Jones, Frozen, and Peter Pan.

Ann graduated from Otterbein (College) University earning her Bachelor of Music Education degree with emphasis in both piano and voice. She earned her Master of Music Education in Teaching Musical Artistry from Bowling Green State University.

Ann is married to her husband, Scott and they have two daughters, Sydney (23), a graduate of the Ohio State University and Liv (22), a rising senior at Miami University of Ohio. Thanks to her family for their love and support, always and forever.

Ann is ecstatic to work with this energetic group of young singers and looks forward to combining our efforts to put together a fantastic and fun performance. Thank you for this opportunity to collaborate with these students and their superb music teachers on the beautiful campus of Ohio Wesleyan University!

High School Honor Choir

Dara A. Gillis, DMA is Director Emeritus of the Choral and Theater programs at Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio. During her tenure in Delaware, Gillis's choirs received consistent superior ratings at both district and state level adjudicated events and performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She also served on the faculty of Capital University in Bexley, Ohio where she directed the Cantabile and Consort choral ensembles. In May of 2026, Gillis appeared at Carnegie Hall as guest conductor for MidAmerica Productions, directing an octavo performance with youth ensembles from Ohio and Arkansas.

Dr. Gillis received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Ohio State University. Her dissertation, "Can You Move Me? Artistry, Expression and Education through the African American Spiritual in the Public-School Classroom" addresses the ways in which the spiritual genre can be used to foster empathy, tolerance, and positive racial relations through music. Gillis's writings on the subject have been published in scholarly periodicals such as the Choral Journal, and she has presented on the topic at professional conferences including for the Ohio Music Education Association and Minnesota Choral Directors Association.

Dr. Gillis is an active adjudicator and guest conductor. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and has served the Ohio Choral Directors Association as President, Vice President, East Central Region Chair and Membership Chair. In July of 2025, she became president of OCDA for the second time and is only the second person in the organization's history to have this honor. When not making music, Dr. Gillis can be found exercising, reading, or on the golf course. She resides in Powell, Ohio with her husband, Mark.