Meet The Board

Mary Whitmore, known to colleagues and students as “Dr. Mary,” holds a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied music composition under the tutelage of Robert Gibson. She began studying composition with David Froom in 2009, and later John K. Leupold II, as an undergraduate student at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music, with a focus on bassoon performance. Her music has been performed at the Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, VA; at the River Concert Series in St. Mary’s City, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, the Davies Concert Series in Temple Hills, the Hank Willoughby Foundation Center for the Arts at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM), and other venues across the state of Maryland. Her music was also performed during the Alba Music Festival in Alba, Italy.

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In addition to serving as the Music Director of the Davies Concert Series, Dr. Mary is an Instructor of Music in the Visual & Performing Arts Department at CSM, where she teaches Music Theory, Ear-Training, Classical and Romantic Music, and Music in World Cultures. At CSM, Dr. Mary also serves as faculty advisor for the student-run Composers Club.

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For more information, visit www.marycoywhitmore.com

Dr. Hiram Larew founded Poetry X Hunger, an initiative that's bringing the power of poetry to the anti-hunger cause.  His most recent collection of poetry, Mud Ajar, was released in 2021 from Atmosphere Press.  He lives in Churchton, MD.

Ruth Phillips is Treasurer of Davies Concert Series and has been for 7 1/2 years. She and her husband, David, have been members of Davies UU for 60 years and sang in Davies Choir for 40 years. Ruth retired from Naval Research Lab in 1996 after 30+ years as a physicist (worked on Timation, the forerunner of GPS, and 10 years with David in Precision Time and Frequency as a husband-wife team). She and David manage a square/round dance club, Swingin' Seniors, which dances at Camp Springs Senior Center. They had 3 sons, 4 grandsons, and just this year welcomed their first great-grandson. They have attended Davies Concert Series since its inception in 1971.

Terri Allen currently serves as the Executive Director of the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA), a 501c3 non-profit arts organization helping to promote Black Classical musicians, youth, and others in the performing arts. The New York native had a successful career with Times Mirror Newsday /Tribune Corporation, one of the largest Fortune 500 media and publishing companies in the world. As an educator, inspirational speaker, and columnist she hosted a TV talk show, "The Terri Allen Show"; founded and serves as Dean Emerita for the Long Island Christian Bible Institute; and is the author several publications. Educated at S.U.N.Y. @ Stony Brook, Bethel Bible College, and Pace School of Law, Terri is the recipient of numerous awards including; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; National Coalition of 100 Black Women; Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; NAACP, National Association of Negro Musicians; International Price Fest Award for Leadership 2021; and Lifetime Achievement Award for Power Up Women’s Organization.  Terri also served on the Senior Advisory Committee and as an Adjudicator for the Congressional Arts Award for Congresswoman Donna Edwards and serves on the Board of Directors for Maryland Citizens for the Arts and Davies Concert Series. She is married and lives in Accokeek, Maryland with her husband Dr. Dale Allen, Ph.D. Terri has two grandchildren and her two children are the co-founders of CAAPA, opera singer and educator Pamela T. Simonson and music director, composer, and pianist Victor Simonson. terri@4caapa.org. 

Jennifer Sullivan is a life-long music lover, with 4 talented kids, that all play 2 or more instruments.  As a Navy wife for 20 years, she has moved around quite a bit, but has settled nicely with her wonderful husband, kids, and dogs in Southern Maryland.  She is employed as a corporate accountant and is also an instructor at a local community college, teaching accounting.  The Davies Concert Series is very dear to Jennifer as it has provided amazing opportunities for her family to see world-class performers, bringing inspiration and joy in a beautiful and intimate concert venue.