2024 Howard Swan award Winner: Kathryn Smith

Kathryn Hansen Smith began her college studies at Occidental College in 1974,  and transferred to University of the Pacific,  earning her degrees in 1977 and 1978.

​Upon graduation, Kathryn married Timothy, moving to Evanston for continued  study at Northwestern University.  Prior to California, she taught at Westmar and Dordt Colleges (Iowa) and Gonzaga University (Spokane).

Together with their families, Kathy and Tim have lived in California since 1985.  Kathy held many part time positions, including:  Private Studio Instructor; Instructor of Voice for Las Positas and Diablo Valley Community Colleges; Director of Music Ministries and Organist at several Lutheran churches; Director of the Orinda Women’s Chorale (now Womensing); Chamber Choir Director for Cantabella Children’s Chorus; and Director of Choral Activities, Instructor of Choral Music Education, and Instructor of Voice at California State University Hayward (now East Bay).  In 2015, she retired from her first full time position as Professor of Music, Cosumnes River Community College in Sacramento.

​Throughout her career, Mrs. Smith was active as soloist, recitalist, choral clinician, adjudicator and honor choir conductor.

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Kathy has been involved in ACDA since 1977, when she served as Founding President of the student chapter at UOP.  With encouragement from Patty Hennings, she started the National Women’s Chorus Repertoire Exchange.  Kathy began serving the State Chapter in 1993 when she was elected Bay Region Representative.  She continued in various positions until becoming President in 2003.  Kathy moved to the Western Division Board in 2007 as Repertoire and Standards Chair for 2-Year Colleges.  She served as Western Division President from 2011-2013, during which time she chaired the 2012 Western Division Conference in Reno, Singing the Legacy.

Other highlights of ACDA conferences include: conducting the Orinda Women’s Chorale at the 1994 Western Division Conference in Sacramento for an Interest Session with Joan Whittemore, Revisionist Music of the Ospedali Venezia (Vivaldi), presenting at the 2007 National Conference in Miami, Speak As You Sing: Keeping the Teacher’s Voice Healthy,  participating in the national meeting to reactivate the International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP) and hosting visiting conductors from Cuba (2012) and China (2014).
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Upon retirement, she now finds time for her hobbies:  piano lessons, crochet, sewing for her granddaughters, and traveling the world with Tim, where they’ve learned to appreciate more deeply the beauty and variety of God’s glorious creation.