In October (2016) Karen Nevins received the ACDA-Michigan 2016 Maynard Klein Award. This prestigious award honors one Michigan choral director yearly in recognition of personal achievements in choral music and their contribution to choral music throughout Michigan and beyond. Karen was invited to the ACDA-Michigan board in 1999 to fill the position of R&S Chair for Women's Choirs. In 2001 she moved to the Executive Board as Secretary through 2008. In 2008 Karen became ACDA-MI Bella Voce Newsletter Editor and ACDA-Michigan Website manager. Having worked on the board under nine Presidents, Karen agreed to serve as ACDA-MI Historian. In 2013 Karen retired from teaching secondary choral music. Throughout her years of teaching at Grass Lake (2 years) and Lincoln Consolidated Schools (18 years), Karen served the Michigan School Vocal Music Association since 1992 as an Adjudicator/Clinician in schools and for MSVMA Festival events. Karen also served as MSVMA District Manager and served the organization as coordinator, host and supervisor of numerous MSVMA festival events. During her years of teaching at Lincoln Consolidated Schools (HS Choral Music/Department Head), Karen's school choirs achieved consistent First Division and Superior ratings at MSVMA Festivals. Her students aspired individual achievements winning seats in MSVMA Regional, State, All-State and ACDA and MENC National Honor Choirs. Karen was elected to conduct the 2008 MSVMA State SSAA Honor Choir in DeVos Hall, Grand Rapids. In 2012, Lincoln's Split Dimensions was selected by blind audition to perform at the Michigan Music Conference and Lincoln's Vocal Essence was selected by blind audition to perform at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival at WMU. Karen was elected by her MSVMA Colleagues to the final ballot for 2012 MSVMA Teacher of the year. Closer to her home town of BLissfield, Michigan, Karen served as guest conductor for the 2008 and 2014 Lenawee County Fine Arts High School Choir and for the 2012 University of Toledo High School Honor Choir. Over the years Karen has inspired many students to pursue further education on a path to careers in performance and music education for their own careers. In 2001, Karen founded the Carillon Women's Chorale to perform in her EMU M.A. Recital. Carillon has continued since then and has earned blind audition performance featured at the 2015 ACDA-Michigan Fall Conference in Flint. Carillon singers have traveled to perform in the Sydney (Australia) Opera House, in Alice Tulley Hall (Lincoln Center, NYC) and in three Inter-Generational ACDA-Michigan Women's Choral Festivals. In 2017 Carillon will tour to perform in Carnegie Hall (NYC) under the baton of Dr. Andrea Ramsey and they will enjoy their fourth collaboration with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.