Our Leadership & Staff

Mark Woodcock
Lindsey Bruner Woodcock
Co-Artistic Directors

Link to Bios
Marisa Highsmith
Executive Director
Marisa Highsmith hails from 20 years of nonprofit management experience serving and training boards to be the best they can be. Currently she is the assistant to discipleship, worship and engagement at a large historic church in her hometown of Wilmington, NC.

While music lives in her soul, talent in the arts eludes her so she is thankful to get back into nonprofit work alongside the beautiful voices of the Concert Singers of Cary.

Marisa and her husband enjoy chasing down their adult children, great food, the beach and walks in graveyards. When the sun isn’t shining, you can find her curled up on the couch with her golden retriever Finley reading a good book or in the kitchen cooking for friends.

Allen Bailey
Accompanist
Allen received a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1987. As a student of Dr. George Kiorpes, he was awarded the Dean’s Scholarship and won the University’s Concerto Competition in 1985. His professional career as a soloist and accompanist has spanned the state during which he has worked with churches, soloists, large ensemble, professional and amateur, scholarly and civic. Affiliated groups include the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Duke University, NC State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Meredith College, Peace College, NC public schools, Durham Chorale, NC Master Chorale, Concert Singers of Cary, Wake Forest United Methodist Church, and the NC Symphony. Currently, Mr. Bailey is employed by IBM as a Software Engineer, specializing in network security.
Thom Haynes
Membership Administrator
Thom is a retired user experience/interface software designer with Fujifilm Medical Systems (radiology diagnostic products) and IBM, and still is an Arts Access audio describer from Cleveland, a ‘mostly-vegan’ who loves pickleball and running/biking around Apex’ Lake Pine, and a bass with CSC. He also works as a standardized patient for medical students and is a fair housing tester.

Thom served on the Cary Players and Cary Playwrights’ Forum boards. He has written several short plays in his life, but acted a lot, produced some, and directed a few. Thom once realized he had lived nearly half of his life in Texas – he soon moved to NC. He has two grown sons – Alex and Ethan.

Board of Directors

Stacy Hanna
President

Stacy has been a member of the Concert Singers of Cary since 2019 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2020. She started her singing career at age 7 when she began performing in local community theater. She eventually began concentrating on singing and performed with various choruses in NC, SC, and MD. Professionally, Stacy is Director of the Business Project Management Office for WIS International’s Inventory Solutions Division. In recent years she has served on several boards including the Raleigh Jaycees, North Carolina Jaycees, Junior Chamber International (JCI USA), President of her Homeowners Association, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership – NC East, and the Advisory Board of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care. She resides in Clayton, NC and enjoys spoiling her nieces and nephews.

M.J. Weissenberger
Vice-President

M.J. has been a member of the Concert Singers of Cary since January 2024 and has served on the Board of Directors since July 2024. M.J. is an HR professional with a focus on organizational design, and she holds a Masters of Public Administration with a specialization in Nonprofit Management. She has committed to volunteer work throughout her life, and also has served on multiple boards. Currently, M.J. is a volunteer with Queer Christian Fellowship and is a Guardian Ad Litem in North Carolina. She moved to Raleigh from Charlotte in 2023 and is enthusiastic about investing in community programs, local businesses and grassroots movements here in the Triangle. Aside from CSC performances, M.J. is also found out on hiking trails with her dog, frequenting farmers markets, or reading at an open mic poetry night.

Lauren Presley
Treasurer

Lauren has been a member of the Concert Singers of Cary since September 2022. She has been singing all her life, including in the State Chorale during her time at NC State University.

As a Parks & Recreation professional, Lauren is passionate about the value both recreation and music have to a person and a community. She is very proud to be a member of CSC and honored to be serving on their board!

Laura Pavlot
Secretary

Laura has been singing with the CSC since fall 2023 and joined the board in 2024. Laura has been singing since the third grade when they joined a musical theater school, and has been finding ways to incorporate music into their life ever since! A Pittsburgh native, Laura moved to Cary in 2016 and has been exploring all of the parks and botanical gardens the area has to offer. Laura works as a program manager and currently works for an environmental non-profit dedicated to mitigating the impact of climate change. They also volunteer with Best Friends Pet Adoptions working with rescue cats. Laura is excited to join the board and support the CSC!

Francesca Balestrieri

Francesca has been a member of the Concert Singers of Cary since 2023 and started serving on the Board of Directors in 2024. Her love of music started from an early age and continues to flourish each year. Francesca holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from NC State University and is currently a graduate student at NC State in the Master of Microbial Biotechnology program. Along with her passions for music and science, Francesca is passionate about community service and outreach and has volunteered for numerous non-profit organizations such as the Down Syndrome of Greater Winston-Salem, Gigi’s Playhouse, Ronald McDonald House, and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Brian Fitch

Clay Michalec

Clay joined the Concert Singers of Cary in February 2023. He holds bachelor’s degrees in music education and in performance and pedagogy, along with a master’s degree in conducting. He currently serves as vocal music director at Broughton High School in downtown Raleigh and also teaches as an adjunct instructor at Durham Technical Community College.

As a vocalist, Clay has performed both as a soloist and choir member. Highlights include touring Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary with the LVC Concert Choir in 2007, and singing Verdi’s Requiem with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra in 2010.

Outside of music, Clay enjoys CrossFit, yoga, traveling, hiking, playing video games, and spending time with his partner and their cats.

Forrest Burris

Forrest is a passionate student of music with a rich musical background. Growing up in a family of professional musicians, he developed a deep love for choral performance and musical theatre. His passion for classical and baroque music has been a motivating force throughout his life. Forrest’s day job as a Systems Engineer in the Pharmaceutical industry keeps him grounded, yet music remains his true passion. He has been honored to perform with several reputable ensembles and will continue to lend his talents as a basso profundo. Now, as a new board member, Forrest is committed to supporting the organization’s mission and fostering a vibrant musical community.

CSC Bylaws

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

The Concert Singers of Cary
Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Avenue
Cary, NC 27511-3312

910-242-4314

The Concert Singers of Cary have earned a Silver Seal from Candid.

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We're a proud member of the Cary Chamber of Commerce, Chorus America, The Heart of Cary Association, and ArtsNC.

Concert Singers of Cary is supported by United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County as well as the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources