FARM Board of Directors

Minneapolis based Ellen Stanley works as a publicist, promoter, DJ and organizer in our community. Formerly the Director of Publicity & Promotions for Red House Records, she is the owner of EFS Publicity and hosts the syndicated Womenfolk radio show as well as the Back Catalog Listening Party podcast. As a songwriter Ellen performs as Mother Banjo. Called “an outstanding poet” (Inside Bluegrass), she was a Midwest Finalist for the prestigious NewSong Contest and has been featured nationally on SiriusXM and CMT.com.

Retiree Karen Rigotti focuses on non-profit arts advocacy. She volunteers at WFMT for “The Midnight Special” and “Folkstage” (20 years.) As an active singing member (35 years), former volunteer, and current contracted GM of the 110 members, 86 year old, Evanston, IL, community choral group North Shore Choral Society, she continues to facilitate administrative activities and a successful music outreach program. Ms. Rigotti gained extensive managerial experience at AT&T, especially with executive-level customer service escalations. She is self-directed, but collaborative and flexible, has problem-solving capabilities, and experience in team leadership, project management, budget/data analysis, and human resources.

Kristen has had a passion for music enjoyment since first learning how to play her parents’ 8-track tapes as a toddler, picking out the desired tapes by color and pressing the right buttons by shape. She loved singing in musicals and choral groups growing up, has been an active attendee of a variety of local and regional concerts for nearly 20 years, and has been a regular attendee of FARM since coming to her first conference in 2018 at the encouragement of friends in the community. Professionally, Kristen has worked for Michigan State University Libraries for more than 22 years. She brings dedication, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail to all her pursuits and deeply values relationships and community.

Smitty is a former punk rock guitar player, retired automotive engineer, and speaks a very little bit of Chinese. He has served on the FARM Board almost continuously since 2011, was conference co-director from 2015 to 2017, and is currently president. Smitty hosted Pump House Concerts (now inactive), a listening room in East Lansing, MI, for ten plus years. He also has presented the annual day long Pumpstock Festival of American Roots Music since 2009. He is spending his retirement focused on his family (three kids, six grandkids, one great-grandchild, wife Kristin McCool, dog Theo), music (he is also on the boards of three other music related nonprofits, and has booked shows as far away as Taipei, Taiwan), traveling, walking, and playing hockey.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Sue Fink fell in love with the FARM community since she first attended in 2003, and she’s attended nearly every conference since then. Over the years she’s served on the Board (previously, and now) and also as Registrar. She looks forward to meeting new attendees, reconnecting with returning friends, and sharing songs long into the night.