Our Board
John Donohue
CHAIRMAN
John Donohue has a PhD in anthropology and for most of his career worked in higher education as a teacher and executive. Almost forty years ago his wife bought him a Teach Yourself the Bagpipes kit from the back of the Smithsonian magazine, and the rest is history. Today, John wrestles with the uilleann pipes. He has played guitar since he was twelve and in retirement has taken up building the instruments.
While he still does occasional consulting work in higher education, he spends most of his time playing music with his wife Kitty, (a cellist) making instruments and writing novels in his award winning Connor Burker thriller series.
Ciro Lo Pinto
SECRETARY
Ciro Lo Pinto is a retired Soil Conservationist who has been employed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Natural Resources Conservation Service for 31 years in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Through the USDA he has also served as Tribal Liaison for conservation programs directly related to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes at the local and national level. He brings experience from several local and national boards. Musically, Ciro is self-taught on banjo, guitar, button accordion and several forms of bagpipes. He has played in bluegrass bands for more than 20 years. He currently marches in the Great Highlands Bagpipe band “The Ladies from Hell – Penn/York Highlanders”.
Thomas Deneuville
COCHAIR
With a background in composition and 10 years of experience running the contemporary classical music magazine, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, music continues to be a central part of Thomas’ life in Freeville, NY. He is actively learning the uilleann pipes and Northumbrian smallpipes, although most of his spare time is spent in his shop learning how to make pipes and reeds. Outside of music, Thomas is a strategist for brands that run WordPress for their sites.
KC Burton
BOARD MEMBER
Having grown up in the swirl of the 60’s-70’s folk music scene, KC Burton’s instrument journey has included forays into mountain dulcimer, bowed psaltry, autoharp, guitar, banjo, penny whistle, bodhran and bagpipes, the latter being a life-long, heart-centered aspiration. She acquired her first pipes- a 2 drone, mouth blown polypenco set of SSP’s with wretched intonation- when already well into her 50’s. From this gateway, she has been graced with proper sets of Scottish Small Pipes, Great Highland Pipes and lastly, Uilleann Pipes. KC’s world of work has largely been centered in teaching, facilitating and counseling with particular focus on human dynamic, healing, growth and creativity. She has a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling, a Doctor of Ministry in Applied Pastoral Care, and has held a variety of professional teaching and counseling licenses. Along with great enthusiasm, shot through with much gratitude, KC brings a lifetime of collaboration experiences to her participation as Board member. A sewist, shepherdess, knitter and hand spinner, when not attempting to play temperamental pipes KC can oft’ be found mucking about with wool, offering radical hospitality, and communing with nature companioned by her husband and dog. She continues to aspire to play the pipes, and thanks to Piper’s Gathering, no longer sets the dog to barking when she fires them up.
Justin Crawford
BOARD MEMBER
Justin Crawford is a neurosurgical physician assistant in a rural setting at Guthrie-Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Throughout his academic career, he has held officer positions for biological and honor societies, as well as his current leadership role as part of a surgical team performing brain and spine operations. He brings to the board a pair of very large shoulders and a “get-it-done” attitude as well as his sense of humor. A recent convert to smallpipes, Justin started as a great highland piper when he was ten years old. His father tutored him and they both have enjoyed being a part of the Penn York Highlanders – Ladies from Hell Pipe band in Athens, PA. He now is a Scottish small pipe, border pipe, and Uilleann pipe enthusiast and hopes to help the Pipers’ Gathering continue on strong.
Teddy Latta
BOARD MEMBER
Teddy Latta came into Celtic music by listening to her husband Greg’s radio show “Just Plain Folks” on WFWM 91.9 FM, the local NPR radio station at Frostburg State University. She also attended the Davis and Elkins College Irish week summer programs, where she learned set dancing. She enjoys listening to all types of music, but has a special fondness for the lively songs of the bagpipes, penny whistle, and hurdy-gurdy. She first attended the Piper’s Gathering at Burlington, VT and has been a regular attendee since. Teddy’s previous talents include managing hardware, paints, plumbing, electrical, and building materials in a department store, earning a BS in Biology, teaching Physics labs at Frostburg State University, serving as a volunteer docent at the local Thrasher Carriage Museum, and leading tours on the Cumberland, MD Canal Boat. A talented potter, she teaches hand thrown pottery classes and makes hand thrown pottery that she sells at summer festivals. Now retired, she continues teaching and making pottery, working on gardening, and has recently added sewing and quilting. As a new Board member, Teddy’s varied background will help the Gathering continue to provide a place for alternative bagpipes and other related instruments.
John Nelson
BOARD MEMBER
John Nelson is a retired Professional Geologist who spent the last 24+ years of his career as the Environmental Manager for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the water and sewer utility for the Boston Metro. area. He developed an interest in Celtic folk and traditional music in college. In 2005 or so he “discovered” and highland bagpipes at a local highland games and was enraptured. After a couple years of lessons with a retired Scot’s Guards piper and playing in a local pipe band made the transition to the Scottish Smallpipes. At a piping weekend he attended in Melrose, Scotland in 2008 he encountered and fell in love with the traditional music of Northumberland and in time took up the Northumbrian Smallpipes. Along the way he also took up guitar and the Swedish bagpipes, the säckpipa. John lives in the Mountain Washington Valley of northern New Hampshire and when not hiking in the local mountains he plays his tunes and works on a family genealogy project. The photo of John was taken in Northumberland in 2017 during his walk across northern England on the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
Roderick Nevin
BOARD MEMBER
Roderick Nevin is a music teacher in Reading, Pennsylvania. Trombone was his first instrument in elementary school, followed by joining the choir, and ultimately settling on the bagpipes (later in life!) as his favorite music instrument. Rod has a Master’s Degree in Music Education from West Chester University and has taught music in K-12 public schools in New York and Pennsylvania for 22 years. He now teaches in a more peaceful setting at home, where he has his private music studio for singers and bagpipers of all ages. In addition to teaching, Rod enjoys being an active singer in the Reading Choral Society, where he is also on the artistic staff as Bass Section Leader. In 2013 Rod found a local pipe band and began learning to play the Highland Pipes with the Hamilton Celtic Pipe Band. He is currently the Pipe Major of the band. Soon after getting started on the pipes, Rod discovered the Scottish smallpipes, which led him to an ever-deepening rabbit hole of that musical world. In 2017 he attended his first Pipers’ Gathering, and in 2018 received his custom-made 5-drone complex Scottish smallpipes, made by Nate Banton. In 2021 Rod became the newest member of the musical trio known as Fire in the Glen, a band specializing in mug-thumping Celtic tunes, lively songs and sea shanties. Scottish smallpipes, Irish whistle, Ukulele, Mandolin, Vocals and Stompbox are his contributions to the mix. More info at www.fireintheglen.com Rod enjoys the camaraderie of fellow pipers at every Gathering, along with the excellent instruction and performances of the instructors and is eager to be part of keeping the joy of piping alive for everyone.
Newest Members
Jo Bergeron
BOARD MEMBER
Jo Bergeron is a lifelong musician, passionate crafter, and a Lab Tech to boot. Her earliest musical memories are of singing with her mother on long car rides and playing piano next to a fish tank that was infinitely more interesting to a 7 year old than arpeggios. Jo then expanded her instrumental collection to alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, guitar, ocarina, and mandolin, as well as keeping up singing and piano. Though Jo grew up with the likes of Celtic Woman, The Dubliners, and the Chieftains, it wasn’t until she graduated high school and took a trip to Ireland and Scotland did she get bitten by the celtic session bug. It was an absolute downpour and there were far too many people packed into a tiny bar near Killarney, but more than half were musicians and Jo found herself in awe. It wasn’t until 3 years later did she pick up her first session instrument, the fiddle. After 4 years of isolated self-teaching, Jo and her husband Chris dipped their toes into the realm of sessions, it was a slippery slope from there. They now frequent 4 sessions every other week, play gigs, assist the local community orchestra, and manage to work full time…phew. But Jo’s insatiable need to learn wasn’t satisfied, luckily she had found a friend in a local enabler, Chuck W. Who graciously gifted a half set of Uilleann Pipes as a wedding gift. Whilst getting the tunes she already knew from fiddle under her fingers on the chanter, Jo picked up Irish flute, low & high whistles, and folk harp. These days you can find her either cutting pieces for a new sewing project, exploring the Maine coast, or trying to decide which instrument she should practice that day.
As the social media curator for Piper’s Gathering, she hopes to reach more impassioned individuals, like herself, who may not have heard of bellows piping and bring them into a world Jo now knows and loves.
Jessica Mulhollem
BOARD MEMBER
Jessica Mulhollem is a Chemist 4/ Section Chief at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Laboratories. She played various reed instruments, including clarinet, bass clarinet, and oboe from elementary school through college. She fell in love with the bagpipes when she studied abroad in Glasgow, Scotland and experienced dorm life during the World Pipe Band Championships. Upon her return to the United States, she signed up with a local band that was offering free lessons in the Great Highland Bagpipes and began her highland piping career. She played in various competition bands and had the opportunity to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships with her band in 2017. Some bandmates introduced her to the Scottish smallpipes, which opened the world of playing in tune with other instruments. Her first experience with smallpipes was a borrowed set of Walsh shuttle pipes, which held her over until she received her Quietpiper smallpipes. She started playing border pipes (also by Quietpiper) around the beginning of the COVID pandemic and is currently being humbled by learning to play uilleann pipes. Jessica was fortunate enough to attend her first Pipers’ Gathering in 2024 as a scholarship recipient, and decided to join the board to give back to this welcoming community.
Tim Smith
BOARD MEMBER
Tim Smith always liked the idea of learning a musical instrument, and finally, as he was approaching 40, came to the realization that he wasn’t getting any younger and might as well get started. After being introduced to Celtic music around the same time, he knew that the uilleann pipes would be his very first instrument. He often can be found asking himself why he did this to himself, but his highly mediocre playing has not reduced his passion for the instrument. Tim currently lives in Maryland, works as an engineering psychologist at a government agency, and has an obsession with product safety. Don’t worry, you’re not alone in not knowing what an engineering psychologist is. He feels lucky to have been accepted as a member of the Piper’s Gathering Board and hopes to give back to this community that has given him so much.