Austin Celtic Association
2010 Candidates for Board of Directors
List of Candidates
NIKKI DAVIS, AT LARGE
I’ve called Austin home for the past 12 years and have been involved with the Austin
Celtic Festival for 6 years. I’ve helped manage music stages, sat on the ACF Music
Selection Panel 3 non-consecutive years and offered face painting and henna art
at the festival. I studied Irish whistle for a few years. I'm currently pursuing
a Business Administration degree, and look forward to continued support of the Austin
Celtic community.
HEATHER GILMER, AT LARGE
Heather Gilmer started playing Irish fiddle in 1994, moved to Austin in 1997, joined
the ACA board as an At Large member around 1999, and has been bringing a performing
traditional musician's perspective to the ACA board and festival committee ever
since. She became vice president in the spring of 2002 and president in the fall
of 2002, taking a hiatus from the board in 2004 but returning as president in 2006.
She maintains the Texas Celtic Music Network, a website with a Celtic events calendar, band and venue listings, and a section of Celtic web resources that is used worldwide. Heather runs a weekly mailing list of Celtic music and cultural events in Texas and surrounding states. She also fields emailed questions for both the TCMN and the ACA, acting as a resource for Celtic music and dance statewide and sometimes beyond.
She has helped plan the Austin Celtic Festival since 2001; she was assistant to the Entertainment Director in 2001, and has been Stage Entertainment Coordinator since 2002. She has been a member of various Celtic performing ensembles and currently plays with the Irish duo Gilmer and Moore and the French/Breton trio Bourrée Texane.
DEANIE HAMMERS, SECRETARY
I have lived in area since 1975, married to Norris, and have one son, Jay,
presently teaching in China.
Profession: Licensed Master Social Worker
Member of ACA 1997 to present
Board member at large:1998 to 2007
Member of ACF staff: 1998 to present
Duties have included: volunteer coordination, Information booth and ACF t-shirt
and performer CD sales as well as creation of badges for all festival personnel.
CLAY LEVIT, AT-LARGE
I'm honored to be considered for a spot on the ACA board.
Here's some background on me: I grew up in Houston and went to college at UT here in Austin where I received a BA in history. Afterwards, I completed a Master's degree in Environmental Education through Lesley College. I then came back to Houston and completed a teaching certificate and taught high school for a few years. I then came back to Austin and was one of the founders of The Griffin School. I got married and moved to Memphis, where my in-laws live. I ran an unprofitable organic vegetable farm for 5 years and then closed up the farm and opened Fiddler's Green Music Shop in Memphis. Two years later, my wife and I decided to move back to Austin, so I brought Fiddler's Green with me. I reopened the shop here in Austin in April 2008. I've been passionate about Irish music for about 20 years and have been actively playing in sessions for about 5 years.
I actually saw Riverdance, but thankfully my kids made us leave at intermission.
DONNELLE McKASKLE, AT LARGE
Donnelle McKaskle is the founder and Artistic Director of the Celtic Cultural Center
of Texas. She has been called a "Celtic Fire-starter" by the Austin Chronicle
and was recently named one of Texas' top ten leading Irish Americans by the Irish
Echo. She has produced the Austin Celtic Festival for the last eight years and received
several awards and recognitions for her radio show, Celtic Storm, which airs 9am
to 11am every Monday morning on KOOP radio. She also produces many Celtic events
including the Celtic Christmas at the Cathedral, Austin's St. Patrick's Day Festival
and many others.
Donnelle has served on the ACA Board in the past as a Vice President and on the Board of Parque Zaragoza. She is also skilled in bookkeeping and knowledgable in all facets of Celtic history and more importantly, non-profit governing.
MELISSA PERIGO, AT LARGE
Melissa has had a lifetime of fascination with and pride in her family's Irish roots.
Her background as a classical viola player helped to set her up for success as a
drummer in Silver Thistle Pipes & Drums, which she joined in 2008. Melissa became
Silver Thistle's Performance Manager in 2009 and enjoys helping the Austin community
become more familiar with Celtic music.
Melissa has great organizational and project management skills and doesn't shy away from challenges. She and her husband currently live in Round Rock and try to attend as many Celtic events in Texas as they are able to each year.
BALA DANE SILKENSON, PRESIDENT
Board experience:
I have been an at large member of the Austin Celtic Association since 2008 and recently
moved into the Vice President position to cover when it was unexpectedly vacated.
As a board member I look for opportunities to express my opinion and be as helpful/hands-on
as I can when it comes to decision making. My current job (of 10 years) is of planning
in nature and I’m sure would be a benefit for me when (if elected) it comes to decision
making on this board. My wife, Amber, and I have volunteered at the Austin Celtic
Festivals for the past 4 years. We greatly enjoy this event (and others) so is a
pleasure to do what we can to be more a part of it and not just a volunteer (even
if not elected I plan on being involved as much as possible). What I hope to bring
to the board:
The first thing that jumps to mind is new ideas. I think that is one of the greatest
benefits when members of groups change. I’d like to offer fresh opinions on current
events that are planned and maybe bring up possibilities for new ones. I don’t look
to rush in and try to “change everything”, but rather to do what I can to enhance
what everyone has to offer. I enjoyed working with the different board members over
the past 4 years and feel that I could continue to bring a compatible attitude into
the mix.
My heritage:
I’m kind of a mixed bag. To start my first name Bala is Welsh and means “the outflow
of a lake”. It is also the name of a town in North Wales. My middle name Dane, is
well, obviously Danish. My last name is Scandinavian and pretty unique. If you ever
meet another Silkenson, you can bet they are a relative of mine. As far as actual
heritage, my father’s side is %100 Scandinavian. His side of the family immigrated
into South Dakota where I still have a few relatives. My mother’s side is not as
simple. Her father was a good bit French (Leblanc). But not long after they immigrated
it was Americanized to “White”. My maternal grandmother is mostly Irish and English.
I haven’t done much genealogy on the English side, but I did find that her great-grandparents
were Irish.
Something amazing/crazy/funny about myself:
Hmm, this one’s oddly the most difficult. I’ll just list a few things that come
to mind:
- I’m an Eagle Scout.
- I have a 16 month old son!
- I’ve been to Honduras with my father on a mission trip.
- As a youngster I had almost every pet imaginable.