Heartfelt congratulations to our A.C.E. award winner Lisa Greenough!

The A.C.E. award is a once in a lifetime award created to celebrate the achievements of a member who has:

• maintained membership in Sweet Adelines for at least 20 years with a significant number of years and a strong grassroots connection in Region 26;

• made significant contributions at the chapter, regional and international levels;

• consistently demonstrated a “heart for service” beyond their personal achievements within the organization by:

• demonstrating personal qualities of determination, courage, integrity, respect and appreciation for and encouragement of others, consistent with the Core Values of Region 26; and/or,

• being a ‘trailblazer’ in some area of endeavour consistent with the Core Values of Region 26 and Sweet Adelines International; and/or,

• inspiring others and leaving a lasting legacy in some area of endeavour or accomplishment consistent with the Core Values of Region 26 and Sweet Adelines International.

Lisa possesses all of those qualities in spades!! The many contributions Lisa has made and the inspiration she has given to others is obvious from the glowing commendations received with her nomination.  Some examples:

River Hills Chorus members wrote that:

Not only has Lisa Greenough been a member of Sweet Adelines for over 20 years she has also made considerable contributions to her chorus, region and internationally. It is her “heart for service” and trailblazing efforts with small choruses and particularly the Open Division that has inspired our chorus and left a lasting impression with us.    As a small chorus you can’t hide things that easily. Lisa therefore stresses the importance of not only being entertaining in the Open Division but also having the vocal skills to back up what you are trying to do. She reminds you how important it is to be “smart singers” because you don’t have the extra voices to hide things. Lisa is constantly working to reinforce the vocal skills before anything else   Lisa has made it one of her missions in life to help sculpt and elevate smaller choruses to a new level within Sweet Adelines International. She has been invited to coach at an international level for Sweet Adelines and has said her focus will be on small choruses and specifically the Open Division. Her experience as a chorus director and showmanship judge makes her a perfect person to take on that task. With her determination, respect and appreciation for those singing in a small chorus we have no doubt many choruses throughout the globe will find great success with the help of Lisa Greenough.

From her dear friends in Thumbs Up! Quartet:

Lisa Greenough embodies each of the Region 26 Core values. Since joining at the age of 16, she has poured herself into the SAI world; learning, performing, leading, teaching, helping, singing, and laughing. Over the years, Lisa has developed a unique leadership style, a commitment to personal growth, a drive to be the best that she can be, and she is committed to helping others who want to do the same. She has done this throughout her multiple roles, including chorus member, bass section leader, choreographer, award- winning chorus and quartet member, assistant director, Master director, regional educational facilitator, international education facilitator, and approved Visual Communications judge. Lisa loves to connect with you, to know more about you and to help you grow into the singer, performer or leader that you aspire to be.

Trailblazing is not for the faint of heart. Lisa, always fearless, not only blazes the trail but sprinkles gasoline on it and throws the match. Symbiotically, Lisa has made diversity and inclusion a part of who she is as a person and a leader. She is courageous. Long before inclusion and diversity became buzzwords and top google searches, Lisa had woven them into the fabric of her persona. Intrinsically and seamlessly, she does this by modeling it.

Whether it be in her role as a director, bass, or friend, Lisa is sure to impart a world of knowledge. We love this! Through her humour, wit and sarcasm, you will learn a lesson without feeling intimidated, threatened or reproached.

From Prairie Gold Chorus:

We came to know Lisa as a very young, exuberant member of Prairie Gold Chorus when Prairie Gold competed in the first 'Small Chorus Festival' in St. Louis, Missouri in 1996. Lisa was enthusiastic and her energy was contagious. Clearly, as her many years as a Sweet Adeline attest, she has maintained this high level of dedication, growing into the committed director of Gateway Chorus. Lisa has been our choreography coach in the past and was always willing to offer our chorus guidance and sound advice in whatever areas she felt there was a need for us to improve. She has been a good friend and supporter of Prairie Gold and we are very pleased to offer our endorsement of Lisa's nomination for ACE Award.