Board of Directors

Nicole de Naray, President

Nicole has lived in Colorado Springs since 1986. Her professional life was spent in various forms of financial management, inclusive of banking, government, small business, and non-proﬁt accounting. Since her retirement from the Colorado Springs Philharmonic in 2010, she has served on various Boards—Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Home Front Military Network Advisory Board, her HOA, and as a Mt. Carmel Community Ambassador. She studied piano as a “military brat” in Germany & France and continues to play. Her husband of 45 years, Andy, passed in 2020. She feels blessed to have her son, Andrew, and family nearby.

Eve Tilley-Chavez, Vice President

Eve, whose parents were visual artists, grew up in the Colorado Springs arts scene, hanging out with painters, writers, and musicians. A student of J. J. Baird, she was in the chorus of several Colorado Springs Opera productions meeting several friends who also continue to support the vocal arts & PPOL. She has a BA in English and a Masters of Arts in Teaching, both from Colorado College. Eve was President and general factotum of The Star Bar Players in the 1980’s and the Pikes Peak Arts Council from 1996-2009. She is a “terrible singer,” but enjoys acting and directing in the theater, making pop-up cards, and paints a little, and loves attending various arts performances and cooking with her husband, Sol Chavez.

Sol Chavez - Parliamentarian

Solomon is retired from his consulting engineering business, CTA Engineering Corporation (est. 1979). He has served on the boards of numerous technical and civil organizations including the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, Colorado Springs Planning Commission, Colorado Springs Civic Theatre, the Pikes Peak Flyfishers, the Star Bar Players, and the Millibo Art Theatre. As an avocation, Sol has worked in numerous theater productions as a performer and in many technical capacities for over 60 years. Filmmaking, with his wife, Eve Tilley, is his current passion.

Tom Trainer, Treasurer

What Tom relates he was: a software developer, solution architect, and senior project manager for Digital Corp, which was bought out by Compaq, then Hewlett Packard. He moved to Colorado Springs in 1987 to upgrade the computers/software at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (NORAD). What he says he is now: a traveler, dog companion, house project manager, and bringer of coffee to his wife Dr. Susan Rae Jensen. He has a daughter here and a son in Coos Bay, OR , and three grandchildren. His first opera experience was at the Vienna Opera when stationed in Europe, but he was “sold” after seeing Countess Maritza at Santa Fe Opera.

Dr. Susan Rae Jensen - Immediate Past President
Susan moved to Colorado Springs in 1981 from the University of Iowa to begin her career as an interventional cardiologist at the Heart Center of Colorado, then at the University of Colorado Memorial South and is now doing a “pro bono” cardiology clinic at Mission Medical Clinic, for the uninsured and underinsured. She was named a Top Doc in Colorado Springs and has been a prominent voice for women’s heart health and cardiovascular risk management and prevention. In addition, she has had extensive classical voice training with the honor of being a Metropolitan Opera audition finalist. She has been the soprano soloist in hundreds of solo recitals and concerts, musical theater and opera performances & scenes as well as soloist for many oratorios. Recently she was the featured soloist in multiple concerts, inclusive of Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and Handel’s Messiah, featured soprano vocalist for spirituals at First Christian and "About the Negro Spiritual," as well as benefit concerts for SFO. Of her over 50 benefit concerts, many have been for Colorado Opera Festival and its Guild, Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Santa Fe Opera, CS symphony concerts and programs for its Guild, as well as for PPOL. She holds Awards of Appreciation and Distinction in vocal performance from Colorado Opera Festival, Colorado Springs Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Pikes Peak Opera League, and has a Lifetime Achievement Award with lifetime membership from Pikes Peak Opera League. “My passion has been to support creative endeavors in the arts and sciences, so that each individual can realize their special gifts and talents.”

Trudy Fennewald

Trudy has a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in music education and vocal performance. She taught K through 12 music in North Carolina and Fountain, CO. She is a soprano & has sung in opera, oratorios, music theater and jazz (& for PPOL.) Currently, she sings in the First Methodist Church Choir, and with her husband, Marty, has managed the FUMC First Company which gives musical theater opportunities to young singers in our community. Trudy has two daughters, Aubrey and Elaina, and tries to keep up with the nine grandchildren.

Kim Gunderson

Kim has served the community in Colorado Springs for over 30 years, most recently with Tiemens Private Wealth Management Group. Formerly in the senior services industry, Kim has served as a volunteer and board member with several organizations, including the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild and the Community Development Committee at the UCCS Center on Aging. Kim currently splits her time between Colorado Springs and Summit County.

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Robyn Hamilton
Robyn has been a member of PPOL for the past four years. As far as opera is concerned, she feels she is more dilettante than expert, but has enjoyed attending the wonderful programs and events that PPOL has to offer. In her previous life, Robyn practiced civil trial law in Vancouver, British Columbia. She studied piano and voice growing up and sang in her church choir for a number of years. Robyn and her husband, Grant Langdon, recently wound up their business Reunion Homes and have spent the past year engaged in a seemingly endless round of pent-up travel. She has served on various fundraising committees over the years and has served on the Board of the Colorado Spring Philharmonic Guild for four years and is past President and board member of the Cheyenne Mountain Newcomers Club.

Lynne Lange
Lynne has been a resident since 2020 and was delighted to find Colorado Springs such a rich music and arts environment. Her management career in the public sector, followed by sales to the public sector, left little time to support live music but she’s making up for lost time by attending as many events as possible, often with her 2 grandchildren. “When I discovered PPOL I found a cooperative group that welcomes everyone to share their love and support of the vocal arts, plus provides assistance and opportunities to the next generation of performers and audiences – all for the benefit of the community at large.” Lynne hopes her energy will help PPOL continue to increase access to a wide range of opera and vocal arts lovers and even more importantly, to those who don’t yet know they are.