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 and Sales Ambassador for Malmark Bellcraftsmen. 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 children, Peter, Sarah, Christian, and Aaron and they reside in Elizabethtown. They have a Weimaraner-mix named Lilah.

Eileen Beazley

As a child of church musicians, Eileen was introduced to music at a young age. She has rung handbells for St. Paul the Apostle Church in Annville, Friedens Lutheran Church in Myerstown, and at Lebanon Valley College, from where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. An avid baker, Eileen loves sharing cookies and cakes with her family and friends, and especially with her daughter, Moira. Eileen lives in Lebanon and works as a Technical Assistant at the Myerstown Community Library.

Holly Brubaker
President

Holly has been ringing handbells since 1995 and rings in several choirs, an ensemble, and a duet, and has participated in numerous handbell festivals and workshops. She is a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Hummelstown where she directs multiple handbell choirs. Holly is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) working for The Hershey Company and lives in Hummelstown with her husband Tim and their five children Coleman, Nicolas, Kira, Megan and Emily (and two cats!). Holly and her family enjoy skiing/snowboarding, camping, various sports and other recreational activities.

Ruth Dunnewood
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 lives in Penbrook with her husband, David, and is the fortunate mother of fellow ringer Isaac Salapa.

Nate Grim
Board of Directors

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, the Northern Appalachian Wind Symphony 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.

Lorrie Hall

Lorrie began ringing at St Paul’s UMC in Elizabethtown in 1994. She and her husband Bill live in Mount Joy and have five adult children, three amazing grandchildren, and two orange tomcats. Lorrie trains and coaches early childhood and afterschool teachers throughout the south central PA region, and holds degrees from Michigan State and Penn State. She enjoys reading, quilt-making, scrapbooking, and trips to Michigan.

Laine Heltebridle
Agent

Laine retired in 2020 as the director for the Bureau of Planning and Research of the PA Department of Transportation. 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. Laine and his wife, Laura, reside in York with their cats Orlando and Molly.

Dawn Herring

Dawn has been ringing handbells since 1993 at First United Methodist in Lancaster. She previously started and directed a handbell choir at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lancaster. Her passion for music started early in childhood with taking piano and guitar lessons. After graduating High School, she pursued a career as a Piano Tuner / Technician and graduated from Perkins School of Piano Tuning and Technology. She has been a certified and registered Technician since 1979 and is involved with The Piano Technician Guild, where she is a chairperson and teaches at several conventions. Besides music, she enjoys traveling. Dawn lives in Lancaster.

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 CoreSource in Lancaster as a Client Coordinator. Kate lives in Hallam with her daughter, Natalie, and their two cats.

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 with several rescued basset hounds (obviously another passion!). When not working, ringing, or rescuing bassets, Liz 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. An active church musician, John equally enjoys singing, ringing, and playing percussion and also served for a time as the handbell director of his church's choirs. He's a graduate with a degree in Computer Science from the Pennsylvania State University and lives and works in the Harrisburg area. He enjoys spending time at home with his wife Barbara and visiting their son, Benjamin, a 2016 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University at University Park with a degree in Electrical Engineering who lives and works in Maryland.

Hillary Marotta

Hillary began ringing bells in 1991. She rang throughout her college career at Bucknell University with the Rooke Chapel Ringers under the direction of Dr. William Payn. She has been called back to ring and tour with the group several times and continues to fill-in as a substitute ringer and conductor. Hillary has played in multiple church choirs, several Distinctly Bronze audition-only events, and currently serves as the Distinctly Teen and College Ring-In Coordinator for the Handbell Musicians of America. Hillary just published her second book, the story of her passion for handbells, and is also a nonprofit trainer and speaker, mental health advocate, and Mental Health First Aid Trainer. She lives in Hummelstown, with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and their golden doodle Teddy.

Lois Mason

Lois began ringing in her church bell choir in her hometown of Upland, California in 1987. She is a database administrator for the federal government and recently completed her doctoral degree in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity. 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, and their four dogs.

Peter McCachren

Peter has been ringing handbells since 2000, getting his start with the Handbell Choir at First United Methodist Church, Lewistown. Peter rang under the direction of Dr. Shawn Gingrich as a student at Messiah College, studying Accounting with a minor in Church Music. Following graduation, Peter took a hiatus from advanced handbell ringing to sing with the Susquehanna Chorale but continued to ring with the Handbell Choir at First United Methodist Church, Hershey, where he and his wife Cassie are active members. Peter is a Certified Public Accountant and is a manager for Boles Metzger Brosius and Walborn PC in Harrisburg. Peter and Cassie live in Londonderry Township with their children Crosby and Grace. They thoroughly enjoy every minute they share with them and their Cockapoo, Zoe.

Elizabeth McElheny
Manager

"Lizzy" has been ringing since 1993 when A-Pealing Praise was formed at Penbrook UCC. in Harrisburg, under the direction of Ruth Dunnewold. She is a Project Coordinator for Aetna’s Medicaid Enrollment department. She resides in Harrisburg and loves spending quality time with her long-term partner, Nick Kohn, their children Briana and Ayden and their "herd" of cats, Yoda, Finn, Chloe and Charley. She also enjoys cross-stitching, video games, cooking and watching her favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves.

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. Together with his lovely wife, Nicole, he enjoys going to see heavy metal shows, working out, and traveling across the country (and sometimes outside the country). They live in Harrisburg with two cats who are the real heads of the house: Sylvester and Tibbers.

Janice Wilson

Janice started ringing handbells in 1994, and is also a member of the handbell choir at First United Methodist Church of Hershey. Having previously worked as a reference librarian in academic and medical libraries, she spent many years as a stay-at-home mom and volunteer. Now an empty nester with her two sons out on their own, she is an employee of UPMC Pinnacle. If she is not practicing handbells in her spare time, she is probably watching a detective show or reading a British mystery novel.