Biographies

Shawn Gingrich
Artistic Director
Shawn serves First United Methodist Church of Hershey as Director of Music Ministry. He has been ringing handbells since 1987 and directing since 1991. In addition to his church work he is an adjunct music professor at Messiah University in Grantham. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Sacred Music from Lebanon Valley College, a master’s degree in Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College, and the doctorate in worship studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Shawn and his wife, Laura, have four adult children and they reside in Elizabethtown.

Lisa Beard
Lisa started ringing handbells in 1986 at Grace Lutheran Church, Lancaster. She later co-directed the handbell choir at St. John Lutheran Church, Richfield. While she has served as a church organist, the piano is still her first love. More recently, she wrote the lyrics for several hymns and liturgical pieces for the “Polka Mass with the Heidelberg Brass Band.” She is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and enjoys relaxing with a good book or crossword puzzle and spending time in nature. Lisa lives in Ephrata with her husband, Glenn.

Eileen Beazley
Eileen has rung since 1994, beginning at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Annville, continuing on at Friedens Lutheran Church in Myerstown, and then at Lebanon Valley College, from where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. Outside of bells, Eileen works at a library and enjoys listening to audiobooks. She also loves to bake, and shares those goodies with her daughter, her fiancé, and his kids.

Holly Brubaker
President
Holly has been ringing handbells since 1995. She is a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Hummelstown where she directs the handbell choir. Holly retired in 2023 from The Hershey Company where she was a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Holly lives in Palmyra with her husband Tim, and has a blended family with 5 children, a Siamese cat, and 2 Savannah cats. Holly and her family enjoy traveling, skiing/snowboarding, camping and e-biking.

Tim Brubaker — Tim has been ringing handbells since 2010 and has been playing the trumpet since 1973. He is a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Hummelstown where he plays handbells and also plays in their brass ensemble. He retired in 2021 after working for 35 years in the IT field. Tim lives in Palmyra with his wife (and fellow ringer) Holly. He enjoys hunting, baseball, camping, traveling, e-biking and skiing.
Ruth Dunnewold Secretary
Ruth has been ringing handbells since 1967. She retired in 2019 from serving for 33 years as an attorney for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she is a founding co-director of A-Pealing Praise, the handbell choir at Penbrook United Church of Christ. Ruth also plays the trumpet and recorder. She is also the fortunate mother of fellow ringer Isaac Salapa.

Jeffrey Durborow — Jeff has been ringing handbells since 1981. He has played in many church ensembles in Texas, West Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. He also was a member of the Circle City Ringers bronze ensemble in Indianapolis, IN for seven years. Jeff and his wife, Phyllis, moved to Manheim Twp in 2023 after retiring to be near family. Both Jeff and his wife studied at Penn State where he received a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1979. He enjoys music, travel, playing golf, and being Pop-Pop to his two granddaughters.
Kim Grey
Kim has been ringing handbell solos, and has been a member of ensembles or choirs since 1999. She is a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Elizabethtown, where she subs in the bell choir when she can as she has a very active toddler. She is a Social Worker at Penn State Health for General Pediatrics, Complex and Palliative Care Pediatrics. She and her husband, Dave, live in Elizabethtown with their daughter Amelia and their cat, Nova. In her free time, Kim enjoys watching Amelia grow and learn, cooking, gardening and spending time with good friends.

Nathan Grim
Managing Director
Nate started playing handbells at his childhood church in 1994. He currently works at Covenant Christian Academy in Harrisburg where he is the fourth grade teacher. Nate also plays for the Hershey Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Harrisburg Concert Band and various local playhouses. In addition to performing, he also teaches clarinet, saxophone, and oboe lessons and loves learning about etymology. Nate holds bachelor's degrees in music education and music performance from Lebanon Valley College.

Laine Heltebridle Agent
Laine retired in 2020 as the director for the Bureau of Planning and Research of the PA Department of Transportation after 31 years with PennDOT. Laine began ringing handbells in 1982 and has served as a church handbell choir director. Laine has also rung with several church handbell choirs in the York area where he lives with his wife, Laura. As the agent for the ensemble, Laine is responsible for finding venues where the ensemble can ring and publicizing upcoming concerts.

Chrissy Hoffner
Chrissy has been ringing handbells since the first children’s bell choir was formed at her home church in Bethesda, MD in 1986. She is now a member of the Grantham BIC church in Mechanicsburg, where she also directs an intergenerational bell choir. A Messiah College graduate, she enjoys living in Dillsburg with her husband, Mike, 2 children, Abby and Josh. With her children through high school now, she scaled back on her full-time volunteer job, and added part-time Youth Ministry at Grantham. She enjoys gardening and bird watching in her spare time.

Kate Kepner
Kate started ringing handbells in 1980 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Elizabethtown and has been a member of the Wesley Handbell Choir at First United Methodist Church in Lancaster since 1985. She also plays the flute, though it is mostly for her daughter’s entertainment these days. She works at Trustmark Health Benefits in Lancaster as a Client Manager. Kate lives in Hallam with her daughter, Natalie.

Liz Kielley
Board of Directors
Liz has been ringing handbells since 1983 when she started at her home church in Baltimore, MD. She has been hooked ever since. While handbells are a passion, she supports herself working as a librarian at Messiah University. She lives in Littlestown, PA and when not working, fills her time gardening, scrapbooking, and motorcycle trips

John Kilheffer
John started ringing handbells in 2001 as a charter member of the Jubilation Bronze Handbell Choir at the Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Harrisburg.   In addition to ringing, he also enjoys singing and playing percussion.  He's a graduate with a degree in Computer Science from the Pennsylvania State University and works in the Harrisburg area. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Marysville and when not traveling, enjoy visiting their son, Benjamin, who lives and works in Maryland.

Lois Mason
Lois began ringing in her church bell choir in her hometown of Upland, California in 1987. She has her doctoral degree in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity and works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also works as an EMT and volunteers with East Pennsboro township fire police. She lives in Mechanicsburg with her husband, Michael, their sons, Luke and Derek.

Peter McCachren
Peter has been ringing handbells since 2000, getting his start with the Handbell Choir at First UMC, Lewistown, continuing under the direction of Dr. Shawn Gingrich as a student at Messiah and now at First United Methodist Church, Hershey, where he and his wife Cassie are active members. Peter is a Certified Public Accountant and is a shareholder at Boles Metzger Brosius and Walborn PC in Harrisburg. They live in Londonderry Township with their children Crosby and Grace, enjoying camping and rooting for the Hershey Bears.

Isaac Salapa
Treasurer
Isaac has been ringing handbells at Penbrook United Church of Christ since 1999. He has also been known to play both the cello and saxophone, though not at the same time. Isaac is a statistician for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He lives in Harrisburg with his lovely wife, Nicole, and enjoys going to see heavy metal shows, working out, and traveling across the country (and sometimes outside the country).

Natalie Taylor  — Natalie started ringing handbells when she was in 2010 when she was in the 3rd grade. She was inspired by her mother’s love for handbells and decided to try it herself at her church. This is Natalie’s first year ringing with Hershey Handbell Ensemble, and she’s so happy to ring with these wonderful people. Natalie has rung at Derry Presbyterian Church growing up, and continued at Messiah University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Natalie now lives in Hershey and teaches 1st and 2nd grade at Sarah Lindemuth Elementary School.

Janice Wilson
Board of Directors
Janice started ringing handbells in 1994. Having previously worked as a reference librarian in academic and medical libraries, she spent many years as a stay-at-home mom and volunteer. She is now a happily retired empty nester with her two sons out on their own. She enjoys traveling, puzzles, trivia, and reading, especially British mystery novels.