MYS Administrative Staff

"MYS is an outstanding cultural and educational asset to the Portland Metro area, and I am looking forward to building on our strong history to position the organization even more prominently in our community....

I am fortunate to have experienced in my own life how important music programs are to students and I am grateful for the chance to pass that opportunity along to present and future generations of young musicians through MYS."
Matthew Jones, MYS Executive Director

See Promotional Video

Metropolitan
Youth Symphony
Lajos Balogh, Music Director, Conductor & Founder
Since 1974

MYS Office
503-239-4566 or (from outside of the 503 area code only)
1-888-PLAY MYS (1-888-752-9697)

Administrative Staff
Matthew Jones Executive Director

	Matthew Jones joined the staff of Metropolitan Youth Symphony in December 2005 as the organization's first executive director. As Executive Director, he will focus on public relations, marketing and fund development for the organization. Matthew brings over 17 years of non-profit management experience to the post. He began his professional career in the development office of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the nation's oldest and largest professional regional theaters. His experience in Portland includes serving as general manager of Portland Center Stage and executive director of Tygres Heart Shakespeare Company. A musician since the age of 7, Matthew is thrilled to finally realize his life-long goal of joining the leadership of a music organization. Matthew graduated from Western Washington University with a Baccalaureate in Arts Management and studied Arts Administration in the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. While in Ashland he served a term as President of the Arts Council of Southern Oregon and worked with a variety of local arts programs with professional development issues. His volunteer activities include serving on the board of the Portland Center for The Performing Arts, a committee to establish the Art of Leadership Program through the Northwest Business Committee for the Arts, and he is currently on the Board of Friends of Trees. Matthew lives in Northeast Portland with his wife Theri. He studied clarinet and bassoon through his school years as well as the bass guitar. He is currently a student of jazz on the upright bass and plays both bass guitar and upright bass in a local rock and roll band.

Carol Neff General Manager

	Carol is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music. She lives in West Linn with her husband Tom, whom she met while working in the music department of Paramount Studios. They have two sons, Christopher and August. A few years after meeting, Carol and Tom changed careers and opened a restaurant. Carol was subsequently hired as the Food Coordinator for Fencing and Vollyball during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She also managed the Santa Monica Symphony. Her business experience in Oregon includes nine years of professional sales, including starting and managing her own business, which her son Chris now operates. Carol moved to the Portland area in 1988 and served as chair of the West Linn Arts Commission from 1988 to 1992. She played violin and managed the Marylhurst Symphony until 2006. Her management experience started at age 17 as General Manager of the Robin Hood Theatre in Ardentown, Delaware.

Vickie Hundley Office Manager

	Vickie started out as a volunteer for MYS in 1995 and joined the staff as an employee in 2001. She sings in the Living Hope Baptist Choir and is currently their church librarian. She also served on the Women.s Ministry Team for nine years and volunteers with the organization AWANA (Approved Workmen are not Ashamed.). All three of her children have been MYS musicians. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended El Rancho High School. Her hobbies are sewing, reading and crocheting. You can find Vickie at the foyer table, every rehearsal Saturday at Beaumont Middle School.

Beth Munger Librarian, Tickets and Outreach Coordinator

	While growing up in Portland, Beth Munger studied music (piano, clarinet, tenor sax and bassoon) and dance (performing with Ballet West and the San Francisco Ballet, as well as many regional groups). She later earned degrees in Technical Illustration and Mechanical Drafting. Beth has worked in various retail stores (including co-owning and managing a classical CD store) and has taught piano. Her volunteer work has included work with various schools (including cataloging a school library) and music groups. Beth pursues many interests, including fabric arts, music, and raising a family. She is known to cook up a mean gumbo. Beth would like to return to school for a degree in Library Science and some day live on the Oregon coast.

Margaret Gunther Volunteer Coordinator

	Margaret's bio will be here soon! Welcome to MYS, Margaret.

Susan Norton Development Manager

	Susan's bio will be here soon. Welcome to MYS, Susan!

Susan Rickett Alumni Coordinator

	Susan's bio will also appear soon. Welcome to MYS, Susan!

	If you would like further information about the Metropolitan Youth Symphony , please call our voicemail line at 239-4566 in Portland or (from outside of the 503 area code only) 1-888-PLAY MYS (1-888-752-9697), or send an E-mail message to mail@metroyouthsymphony.org .

HOME Sitemap